Never Too Late
by Candygal
Summary: 5 yrs ago Ziva lost her young child to an American kidnapper and the wounds of that event never truly healed inside her. But when she has the chance to be reunited with her son, there are no limits as to how far she will go! Tiva, AU, post Dagger.
1. Remembering the Separation

**Author's Notes:** This story is being updated, as it's been a while since I worked on it and my grammar/storytelling has improved since I first wrote this fic. I will continue to try my best to keep everyone in character, especially Ziva, and I apologise that the chapters are rather short. I am working on this, though it likely won't be significantly longer until I submit newer chapters.

**This story contains a few spoilers for "Dagger"**, but only the utmost last scene, really. This is a very TIVA story, but at this point only minor McAbby and Jibbs. I have banners for the fic on my profile, which may also be updated soon. I have an older version of a trailer on youtube (also found in profile) and the new version may be coming soon in the future.

Note: **Everything ****underlined**** is said in Hebrew.** _Italics _are flashbacks/memories/dreams etc.

* * *

Ziva watched Gibbs talking to Amanda and giving her Lee's badge, but she wasn't really seeing them. Her mind had crossed over to a darker place the moment she realised the connections Amanda and her had; some small, unnoticeable similarities.

Ziva put all of her effort and willpower into keeping her mind from going where it was going that she did not notice the tears welling in her eyes. She felt something slide down her face and realised it was a tear. She sniffed inaudibly and turned away from Amanda and Gibbs, looking towards Tony. He stared back at her. Now she felt stupid; Ziva was crying for a reason they did not know or understand, and she just looked at Tony. Wonderful, this wasn't going to end well. He saw her tears, for the short few seconds she looked at him, and Ziva saw his concern. She quickly turned away and knew she had to get out of the bullpen before she did something that probably wasn't a good idea.

Ziva rushed from the room, leaving the confused and worried Tony there, as she entered the nearest women's bathroom and took refuge there. She leaned her hands on a sink in the middle and stared at her reflection.

'_Mama!' he screamed, tears falling down his face-_

'No.' Ziva said firmly, trying to push away the small flashbacks that tried to invade her mind. 'No, not now. I will not…'

'_I like the teddy, __Mama.' The three-year-old looked up at her with a smile, as he ran his fingers over the bear's ears. _

Ziva blinked, but her reflection stayed the same. More tears fell freely down her cheeks until she was aware of a sound outside the bathroom and hastily brushed them away. Seconds later, Tony walked in.

'You okay?' Tony asked, sounding as casual as he could in hope she would not get defensive. They both knew he'd seen her tears.

Ziva turned to glare at him and sniffed inaudibly again, before she walked past him without a word and left the bathroom. She knew Tony was following her, but she did not care. Ziva had other things to worry about.

Gibbs had just watched Amanda leave with her aunt when Tony and Ziva came back. He raised an eyebrow as Ziva looked very mad, hurt even. It was a strange expression on her face that he'd only seen twice: when she'd shot Ari, and when she'd reminded him she'd shot Ari. Surely this wasn't an Ari connection?

'Do not follow me!' Ziva hissed loudly to Tony.

She grabbed her belongings from behind her desk and stormed out of the room, catching the elevator just in time while another worker was leaving.

Gibbs looked over at Tony questionably, but his agent simply shrugged. Tony's concern mirrored his own.

'She was crying, boss.' Tony told him. Gibbs was not only surprised, but his gut was telling him something else. Not to follow her, but to question her next time she came in. Ziva was a trained Mossad Officer, so there was no way emotion such as crying would slip through her grasp unless it was big.

He hoped she was alright.

But she wasn't alright. As Ziva drove her car home to her apartment, she kept getting short flashbacks of the horrible moment five years ago…

'_Mama!' Nathan screamed and cried as he tried to reach her-_

'HEY!'

Ziva was jerked from her mind when a yell and car horns were heard. She'd missed three cars in a traffic midsection by mere inches. Tony always described her driving as a hazard, but this time it truly was dangerous because she could not focus and more tears were breaking free. Ziva did not like to lose her composure and control like this, but losing her son was too much for her to keep inside as the memories flowed back and hit her all at once. She screeched to a halt on the side of the highway road, ignoring the lights, sounds, and evidence of the world around her. She banged her hands against the wheel and cried loudly, which became raw, tortured sobs.

'_Here, my love.'Ziva handed her three-year-old son, Nathan, a light caramel-coloured teddy bear she'd bought while away on a mission. '__Did you miss me?__' She asked, knowing he had._

'_Yes, Mama.' Nathan nodded, tracing his hands over the ears of the teddy bear. '__I like the teddy__, Mama.' He smiled up at her. 'Can I name him?'_

'_Yes, __he needs a name.__' She ruffled his brown hair with her hand and smiled. '__Has Ari been teaching you English again__?' She asked and was amused by the slightly guilty expression forming on his young face._

_Nathan smiled at her innocently and cuddled the bear, as they walked away from the private plane she'd recently left. Ari had watched Nathan run to her, but then he had to leave, as his mission was already delayed by babysitting._

'_Excuse me.' A man said, as he approached her with two other men behind him. Ziva thought he instantly looked suspicious, and noticed his accent was heavily American. 'Could you tell me-' He started to say, but didn't finish as his two men grabbed her, and he snatched Nathan._

'_Mama!' Nathan screamed and tried to fight the man, but he was only a little boy and the man was very strong. 'No!' He cried with anguish as the teddy bear slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground. _

_Ziva fought the two men in dangerous retaliation, but the man with her son caused her to pause as he held a gun to Nathan's head. Ziva knew what he was trying to say and her fighting weakened, which allowed their escape with her son. It happened in a blur, yet his face crumbling to fear and distraught played in front of her like an hour-long movie._

'_Mama!' Nathan screamed, his tears falling as he tried to reach his mother, his symbol of love and safety. His eyes and tone begged her to save him._

_Ziva heard a gunshot and felt blood on her hands. She crouched to the ground, sobbing heavily, but with dry tears. She knelt down and picked up Nathan's teddy with her few clean fingers and closed her eyes. She could hardly smell his scent or even hear anything as her mind went foggy and she struggled to move. Ziva had to save him. She had to chase the men who had her baby boy, but she was drugged somehow, with her senses and muscles shutting down._

_'Mama!' Nathan pleaded, but his cry was weak as he was dragged around a corner and shoved into the back of a car._

'_Shut up, boy!' One of the kidnappers growled at him. 'Your mama's gone.'_

Nathan gasped loudly and jerked upright in his bed. He took deep breaths and calmed himself, wiping a fallen tear from his cheek. His nightmare was still fresh in his mind, though he knew it wasn't just a nightmare. Five years ago he had been taken from his mother, unable to hug or talk to her again. He felt terribly sad, but also guilty that he'd known her for three years, and yet that fateful day was all he could remember.

Nathan crawled onto his knees and looked outside the small window, which was in the middle of the wall his bed was vertically pressed up against. Not that it was much of a bed – it was an old, weak mattress on a rusting spring frame. Nathan looked looked through the unclean glass at the night sky, and placed his hands against the cool surface. He stifled his tears, wishing he could go straight through it and be free of this small, wooden, and musty room. His prison.

'_Here, my love.'His mother said, and handed him the cuddly brown bear. '__Did you miss me?__' she asked, but of course he had missed her. _

Now Nathan missed her more than he probably ever did when she'd gone on her few week missions. The seven-year-old curled up on his bed and cried silently, remembering the scene over and over. His silent release of pain and longing was something he'd learn to do over the tears. When he'd first been taken, they would hit him or yell at him whenever he cried, even when he couldn't help it. So he had learnt to hide his pain, and not utter a sound when he was hurting as badly as he was now.

'I miss you, Mama.' Nathan said to no one, keeping his voice low in case those outside his door overheard. 'Please, save me.' The child pleaded softly and hugged his pillow tightly as tears leaked through its soft surface.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** **Just so you know, Nathan is currently seven, but will be eight in about a month or two. Well, that's the first chapter, so...what do you think?**

**-Mel**


	2. Small Steps to a Big Goal

**Author's Notes:** If you read this, please share your thoughts and let me know what you think and if I'm doing things right. Thanks to my reviewers: **M E wofford, shopgirl13, OTHlover04** and **agent1332!** I'm glad you all enjoyed the first chapter and are interested to see how this fic goes. It is rather AU and I have been wanting to write it for so long! But then I saw a few clips of tiva Dagger moments and saw the end scene with Ziva...providing me the perfect opening I needed!

**Remember, anything underlined is in Hebrew!** Also, this fic is rated for inconsistent swearing and later for more "intimate scenes". This is not a heavily dark fic, but there's enough that the rating really applies.

This fic will not be rushed, as I want to do it properly. I love challenging myself so each of my fics are usually very different. Anyway, please let me know what you think! Enjoy.

* * *

Tony glanced over from his computer screen to stare at Ziva again.

He was feeling uneasy because she wasn't reacting to his staring, whereas normally she could sense when he was watching her. But Ziva's head was rested on her arms as she slept against the surface of her desk, tired from her lack of sleep the night before, and frowned slightly in her sleep. Tony turned back to his computer and hoped she was okay.

_'He's gone!' Ziva screamed at Ari, hitting him in the chest with her hands, as though it was entirely his fault her son had been kidnapped. _

_It had been quite some time since it had happened, and once again he was the first person she'd turned to. Ziva liked the rough contact of her fists colliding with him, in her furious desire to hurt someone – anyone. She lashed out again, but her brother grabbed her wrists tightly to steady her before Ziva caused him any real harm._

_'You are letting your emotions cloud you again, Ziva.' Ari told her. 'We will find the bastards that dared to take him, but you need to calm down.'_

_'My son has been gone for six months. Do not tell me to calm down!' she scowled angrily at him. Even so, she obeyed his firm suggestion and took a breath of air. She was thankful that Ari had taken her weapons way when she'd shown up to see him. 'You have something useful, yes?' Ziva sighed._

_'John Mohamed-'_

Ziva wasn't awake long enough to dream the last of Ari's sentence, as she jerked upright and blindly reached around her desk for some paper and a pen to write the name down. How could she have forgotten? John had been killed by Ari three weeks after the flashback she'd been dreaming about. He was one of the people in running the kidnapping operation. Ari had tried to help find her son and had been the sole resource for all of her major information regarding where he might be and who was responsible for stealing her child.

But Ari was gone now, and she was on her own.

It had been five years, but her memory was now clearer than ever after her ordeal had been resurfaced in her mind and heart. She typed on her keyboard, trying to recall the names of contacts Ari had successfully tortured out of John, before he'd killed him. Ziva growled, as she knew what had happened next. Yes, their father had intervened. He took her out of the country for several months, on one mission or another, which she could not disobey. Ziva admitted she had also wanted to bury a part of her loss in anger, by killing others and stopping her targets, even if they were not the ones she really wanted to harm. By the time she got back to Israel, Ari was making his connections to Hamas and the people they had been tracking were gone – the kidnappers had vanished off the face of the Earth, it seemed.

'Ziva did you get that background check?' McGee wondered, as he walked into the office and sat this desk. He got no response from her and looked over to see Ziva typing quickly at her computer. She didn't appear to have heard him. 'Ziva?' He tried again, since he really needed the background checks before Gibbs returned from MTAC.

'Give it up, Probie. She's been like that all morning.' Tony sighed.

His gaze remained steadily focused on his partner, wishing she would let him in on what was bothering her and let him help her with whatever she was obsessed with. The crazed look in her eyes convinced him it was serious.

When her co-workers placed their attention on their paperwork, Ziva halted and raised her eyebrows at her screen in surprise. She realised she now had access to files she previously hadn't. It enabled her to do a full background search on John Mohamed, and saw he was now listened to be an American civilian, effective since two years ago. Further checking revealed that others related to the incident and situation were also Americans.

Ziva came to the conclusion that her son may be even closer than she'd ever known since his abduction.

* * *

'Wake up!' Nathan heard a voice snap and he was roughly shoved awake.

The boy's eyes were wide with fear, as he scrambled away from the person, until he was leaning his back against the wall. It was only Eve. She was the blonde woman who fed him, and was in charge of essentially keeping him alive. Nathan kept his suspicious eyes on her, but slowly looked down at the small table positioned beside his bed. He licked his lips at the sight of his lunch, which was some bread with a piece of fruit; the usual.

'Eat.' Eve commanded.

She pointed to the food, but he did not move to obey her. Narrowing her eyes, as she knew he was starving, Eve stepped back several meters. He never uttered a word to her, but Nathan did move forward with an air of righteous distrust. He reached for some of the food and nibbled on it, still watching her carefully.

Eve nodded and left the room, making sure to slam the door closed behind her.

Nathan hungrily shoved the bread rolls into his mouth and almost ate the entire piece of fruit whole. He crawled off his bed and quietly snuck over to the door. He leaned cautiously against it, his ear almost touching the wood as he tried to listen. The stood there, fearfully, and overheard Eve arguing with another man. They were trying to work out what to do with him.

'We're moving again.' The man announced shortly afterwards. 'We've been here too long as it is.'

'Where to this time?' Eve asked. She sounded annoyed, because she knew the only time Nathan really said anything was when they moved location. And he never had anything nice or compliant to share during those moments.

'Washington DC.' The man answered. 'We'll be there in about two days. Monday.'

Nathan, seized with terrifying determination, hurried away from the door and lifted a very small pencil from where it had been hidden inside his pants pocket. He tried to be as quiet as possible, while he dropped to the floor and wriggled underneath his bed. He knew they would not be suspicious to see him under there, if he was caught, because it wasn't an odd occurrence for Nathan to try and hide beneath his bed. The safety was fleeting and minimal, but to the child it was sometimes a little calming.

Using his blue pencil, Nathan wrote small Hebrew words on the wall directly under where his pillow was above him, and mentally pleading with all he had that someone other than the people in the other room would read it. Putting the pencil away, Nathan got out from under the bed in case they saw his words, in the incident of dragging him out. He leaned on the floor with his knees and faced his bed, praying for his mother and hope.

* * *

'I will be there soon. Do not leave.' Ziva said and hung up her phone. She rolled her eyes and looked over at Tony, casting him a disapproving frown. 'Would you stop staring at me?'

He opened his mouth to reply, but didn't get the chance to say anything as Gibbs walked into the bullpen.

Ziva was already gathering her things as quickly as she could. She was going to meet a friend of hers she knew from Israel. He was very aware of the situation, and what had happened to her son, and might be very useful. He'd flown in three days ago and she'd been able to track him down. Even though he was on a mission of his own, under orders, he had still agreed to meet with her.

'Going somewhere, Officer David?' Gibbs asked.

'Yes.' Ziva replied.

She gave no other details and went to leave, but her path was blocked by Gibbs. He stared down at her, as if he was trying to read the little expressions she slipped through the cracks of her composure.

'Is there something we should know?' Tony asked.

'No.' Ziva replied.

She moved to leave again, and once more Gibbs stepped in the way. Her friend had limited time to speak to her, so the longer she took to arrive at the meeting place the less help he could provide. Gibbs prevented her from leaving, and Ziva's anger kicked in on full impact. It caused her to speak to him in a harsher and angrier tone than any other the team had ever heard her use.

'If you do not get out of my way, I will not be held responsible for my actions.' She growled. Ziva had even shocked Gibbs, allowing her to shove passed him and continued to the elevator.

She stepped inside when the doors opened, and didn't offer a single glance back.

The NCIS team knew she could get mad and was known to threaten bodily harm on an almost daily basis, but never had she behaved that way to Gibbs. Not like that. Everyone was officially very worried.

* * *

'Sorry I am late.' Ziva said as she seated herself across from the darkly tanned man with black hair. 'I had some...difficulties.'

'I understand.' Jed nodded. He glanced around in a way most may perceive to be casual, but Ziva recognised as caution. He wasn't too thrilled about meeting with her out in the open at a local coffee store.

'I thank you for being here.' Ziva assured him.

'I know the pain you went through, Ziva.' He spoke with a scratchy Arabic accent. 'I should inform you that I have delayed my mission in order to assist you with your cause. Nathan was a good boy.' He nodded.

'He still is. And thank you. I owe you one.' Ziva said, touched by his friendship and the willingness to help her find her son, even after five years have passed since the day he had been taken from her arms.

'No, Ziva.' The young man shook his head. 'I owed you. You have saved my life more times than I dare to count.'

'Very well.' Ziva smiled sadly and nodded. 'What do you have?'

'I am waiting on a call from my contact for an identity briefing. They are in America.' Jed told her with certainty. 'They have been for almost four years now.'

'Since I started at NCIS?' Ziva was puzzled by this, while trying to decipher what the connection may be. Or what it meant for her son's well-being and future.

'No, before.' Jed replied. He paused to answer his phone, speaking in flawless Arabic, though Ziva could understand he was verifying a location. Shutting his phone, he rose from the table and gave the area a final customary glance.

'Come, Ziva.' He said. 'We may have useful information regarding the possible whereabouts.' He sipped the last of his coffee and tossed a few notes of money beside the cup. He walked quickly to his car, not waiting another moment, as Ziva followed behind him.

The search for her son was officially resumed.

* * *

**Author's Notes: I had to end it there, sorry! The chapters are still short, but they'll get longer as the story goes along. Don't forget to check out the first banner for this fic (seen in my profile), and let me know what you think. I will put more there as the fic goes along and things change/advance. This story is heavily TIVA, as you will begin to notice more in the coming chapters. If you have any other shipping you'd like to see, as mentioned, let me know. Also, I have not mentioned the NCIS director yet, since it's an AU fic set during season 6. There can be Jibbs, if you want it to be, just let me know.**

**- Mel**

**P.S: In your opinion (and taking the situation into consideration) do you believe Ziva is in character? What about the others? Do you like Nathan, even though you don't have much to go by yet? **


	3. Message for Mama

**Author's Notes:** Wow, thanks for the reviews everyone! Made me very happy and even though I told myself i would not make daily updates, turns out I just couldn't resist due to the responses I got, thanks! Those great people are,** M E wofford, shopgirl13, agent1332, losingmymind2** and **immirose**! The most popular comments I got that made me happy was how Nathan is how you would expect Ziva's child to be; headstrong, brave, smart and stubborn. Which yes, he is each of those :). I'm so relieved that Ziva is very in character, she is my favourite character on the show and it's nice to finally get her right. Ziva is certainly alone in this, mostly, and will not accept help as it's not something she would do but if it gets desperate enough she might have to. And Tony will find out what is going on soon enough, hang in there! :) Also thank you to those that looked at my banner and let me know that you loved it, that it matched the story well, made my proud. I will put the next banner up once the story reaches that point (So far the story as four phrases, we're on the first one. The second is not too long after Ziva and Nathan are reunited, but the other two will take longer to reach).

**Contains some swearing. Underlined text is in Hebrew.**

****I do not know how long this story will go for, but I have it planned almost up to chapter 20 and am writing chapter 9 right now. Also, I am not going to drag out Ziva's search for her son too long, for those of you that are hanging out for the reunion...only a few chapters to go!

* * *

Ziva's meeting with Jed had proven useful, as it provided an insight to additional details regarding the kidnappers who had taken her boy from her, and yet it had not been as productive overall as she'd hoped for. After she and Jed had met with his contact, Ziva had little else to do other than to return to work.

Once she arrived at NCIS, Ziva acted as though nothing had happened.

Arriving at the bullpen, she tried to force the memories from her mind and focus on their case. She gave McGee the background checks he needed, and arranged the interrogation Tony previously requested. Otherwise, she avoided looking at anyone in the eye and talking more than necessary.

It took a while for her to feel guilty about the way she had reacted towards them, especially considering the parting words she'd said to Gibbs. They were her friends and did not understand why she was going through emotional turmoil, or why. They did not deserve the way she lashed out at them.

'Ziva, are you okay?' Tony's voice cut through her thoughts, which made her visibly started at the sound.

Gibbs had been watching from the balcony overhead and decided it had gone on too long, and too far. Ziva's jumping was a clear sign of her being out of focus, scared, and possibly obsessive to the core with something painful and personal. He knew from experience, and could spot the signs a mile away.

When Ziva shrugged at Tony, and gave him a false answer to his concerned question, Gibbs strode down the stairs and directed Ziva to the elevator. Ziva, unsurprised by his order, did as she was told. The doors shut softly and the second the elevator started to move, Gibbs hit the emergency switch. Ziva hardly blinked as the confined space went dark and the air conditioning shut off, her gaze only observing the glare he aimed at her.

'What the hell is going on, Ziva?' Gibbs asked in a low tone, which wasn't exactly soft or calm, but gave the impression of such.

Ziva glanced sideways at him, but looked away. She chose not to say anything and simply refused to involve him in her mess.

'Tell me!' Gibbs snapped.

Ziva almost jumped again, but had regained her focus in time. She attempted to remain unreadable and unrevealing, triggering her Mossad instincts of preserving herself and the truth.

'We're your friends, Ziva.' Gibbs tried another tactic.

His previous one clearly wasn't going to work on her, and he had to get answers. Ziva was almost more complex. Abby would have told him in a heartbeat, McGee soon after, and Tony followed a slap to the head. Ziva, however, was harder to reach out to. But he would never stop trying, because she was a part of their NCIS family now.

'We're your team!'

'It is nothing for you to worry about.' Ziva insisted. She quickly glanced at him again, and for that split second of exposing her expression, Gibbs caught the emotion ridden in her eyes.

Guilt.

Her brown gaze was filled with guilt, and sadness.

'Your actions prove otherwise.' Gibbs stated. 'Since when does DiNozzo make you jump?' He stood right beside her, knowing he couldn't intimidate her, and instead cleverly put pressure on her conscious.

'Where did you go?' Gibbs asked. 'Is this about Ari?'

Ziva was surprised by his question and looked at him, her gaze lingering this time. She didn't answer immediately, as her mind thought over how he could have reached the guess he had involving her brother.

'What made you think of Ari?'

'Is it?' Gibbs continued.

He still wasn't getting a straight answer from her, but had no intention of backing down until he had something to go by, something to lead him in the right direction to help her or at least understand what was going on.

'No.' Ziva's reply wasn't entirely truthful, but she was confident it also wasn't a complete lie.

'Where were you?'

'Meeting with a friend.' Ziva said as she reached forward and switched the emergency button back. 'I am a big girl, Agent Gibbs. Everything is fine.' Ziva stood firm until the doors opened a second later.

She walked out of the elevator and returned to her desk in the bullpen.

Gibbs let her leave. He stood nearby, watching her carefully, and was determined to get to the bottom of this. But if she didn't trust him, or the others, than he knew it was a lost cause. He could never force anything from a Mossad Officer like Ziva. She had been at NCIS for years now, and yet, after all this time, why didn't she trust them to help her?

What had they missed?

* * *

'No!' Nathan screamed as loud as he could. He punched and kicked anything in his reach, and even if he couldn't make contact, he tried anyway. 'Let me go!' He yelled angrily, fighting every attempt they made to shove him into the back of their black van.

'I hate this job.' One man grunted, after copping a fist to the jaw from the resisting child he tried to keep his grip on 'Get in!'

'No! No!' Nathan's voice raised in volume.

He aimed a hard kick at the other man, getting him square in the groin. The man went down fast. Seizing the the opportunity from the slackened hold, Nathan used the side of the van to propel himself from their grasp with his feet, and took off running.

The seven-year-old ran as fast as his legs could carry him, tearing down the road and onto gravel ground. He heard footsteps behind him, and voices that cursed or yelled, but he blocked them out and kept going.

He didn't get too far, as he tripped on some rocks and fell to the ground hard.

The fall tore the material of his pants over his knee, which made him sniffle when he felt the stinging pain, and saw blood drip onto the dirt. His mind jerked back into survival mode, remembering he was being chased. Nathan jumped onto his feet and ran again, but two strong arms scooped him from under his armpits and lifted him away from his momentary freedom. They forcibly shoved him inside the van, which had been driven down the road while he had made his attempted escape.

Even with his kicking and screaming, Nathan was no match for his kidnappers. He was worn out and his knee was hurting, plus there were three muscular men to overpower him. Nathan was a child who only had diminishing hope to guide or assist him, whereas they had every other advantage over him.

Nathan wondered if he would ever know freedom again.

* * *

Since talking to Gibbs, rather avoiding answering his questions the best she could, Ziva had remained at her desk and typed away at her computer. She barely halted, until suddenly she paused and a frown creased her concentrated expression. Her instincts were telling her something as wrong, but it passed and left her feeling confused.

Ziva returned to what she was doing, when her screen went black as a cause of a power outage. The approaching storm was to blame, and it had killed her computer as everything went dark.

'NO!' Ziva exploded with anger, hitting the side of the screen with her hand. She had been so close to locating one of the men, and now the information was probably lost. 'Shit machine.' Ziva cursed at it.

The backup power kicked in a second later, and her screen flashed back on.

Her computer was re-starting, and it calmed her only slightly, until she searched desperately for the info. It was gone. Her anger, unable to be contained, burst once again. Her fury was only hindered by the sense of despised helplessness she felt. Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes, as she'd had the location right at her grasp, only to have it snatched away.

Why was everything against her having her son in her arms where he belonged?

During the moment, Tony had been watching Ziva the entire time. When the light reflected the tears she carelessly brushed away, he decided he could not take it any longer. He got up from his chair and cautiously approached her desk to sit on the edge of it. He silently watched her until she noticed his presence and looked at him. Her tired and saddened eyes pierced his own.

'Talk to me, Ziva.' He pleaded. He was shut down again, as she abruptly turned and headed to the nearest bathroom.

Tony waited exactly five seconds, before he followed after her. However, on the way through the hallway nearby the destination, Ziva stopped and turned to glare at him angrily. She proceeded to threaten him in the same harsh and cold way she had to Gibbs the previous day. Tony didn't budge. He stared at her and braved speaking, taking a chance when she didn't move away.

'Then you're going to have to kill me, Ziva.' He told her. 'I'm not going anywhere.'

Ziva could see the seriousness in his gaze, and actually pondered on telling him the truth for a moment. She wondered if he could really understand, or if he'd simply tell her to let it go, just as her own father had. Tony was not like her father, she knew that, and still it made her hesitant to trust him. Her phone interrupted her thoughts, and she hastily answered it in thirst of information or something to bring her closer to her goal.

'I know where they're keeping your son!' Jed told her, and revealed the address to her.

'Wait for me!' Ziva hung up and spun around to leave, but once again she was followed by Tony.

'I'm coming with you.' Tony insisted. He dared to stand across her path on the way to the elevator.

'No. Move.' Ziva shoved him, but with little success.

She fought against him, until she decided to try another route. She turned and bumped straight into Gibbs. It became quite clear that both men were not about to let her leave. Ziva's fear of losing her son flooded her mind and overwhelmed her senses. She stopped struggling against them, and fought to remain as strong as she could. Ziva could not lose Nathan again, and her terror of a repeated loss unsteadied her for a moment. Even with her Mossad training and her weapons, she knew there was no way to fight off both Gibbs and Tony without killing them.

Ziva could not do that.

'Move!' She snapped, regardless. 'Or I will be forced to kill you.' She growled.

And still they did not move, which pushed her fear completely to the surface. Tears escaped her and her voice crumbled under the pressure of her panic and emotions.

'Please!' Ziva begged. 'Please, just let me go.'

'Tony goes with you.' Gibbs gave him her only open for escape, because Ziva could reach her breaking point. Never had anyone seen so much emotion elevating from her in a mere two days. In fact, neither Gibbs nor Tony had ever seen this much emotion from her in the entire four years they'd known her.

'Fine.' Ziva breathed and ran for the elevator, hitting the button harder than necessary. She was afraid of wasting any more time, and Tony hardly had a chance to catch up with her.

* * *

Tony said nothing about Ziva's driving, though he hung on for dear life the entire way. He still hadn't said a word as they arrived at a rather run-down, isolated house in Norfolk. He got out of the car alongside Ziva, watching as another pulled up beside them and Jed joined them. There were no introductions or explanations exchanged.

Tony grabbed his weapon, when the other two did the same, and followed them closely. He didn't know what was going on, and they acted as though he wasn't even there. Tony stayed close to Ziva, in hope she might confide in him and shed some light onto what was going on with her.

She didn't.

Ziva and Jed searched the house and yard, but each were empty. She growled and angrily kicked the bedside table within the smallest room. In her rage, she yanked the bed and overturned it, beyond frustration that once again her son had been taken from her reach.

'Ziva-' Tony went to say something to her, as he stood by the doorway and watched what she was doing.

Her rage vanished as something caught her eye, freezing her motions for a few seconds. She crouched down to feel something on a wall, a small smile gracing her lips as she stared at it. Softly touching the tiny Hebrew words, she read them aloud to Jed and, by extension, Tony. She left out the first three words, however, as she felt Tony did not need to hear them.

'_At DC on Monday._' Ziva sniffled. '_Save me._' She read and stood up.

She ducked her head and headed out of the room. It was too dark in her eyes, and she could still recognise his scent. The first three words of Hebrew from the wall echoed in her mind: _Message for Mama._

Ziva and Jed spread out to search the surrounding area for any other clues. Tony stood near the cars, having been left without any details of the situation and what they were looking for. Except now he was sure it was more of a "who" than a "what", after what he had witnessed and heard so far.

Ziva looked downwards at the gravel road and bent towards it. There was a small strip of green material lying in the sun. She touched it gently, as she had with the wall, and picked it up. As she stood, her skin boiled with rage upon seeing the sight of the tiny blood marks on the object, which had likely come from her precious boy. They had hurt her baby, and not they were going to die. Ziva was going to slaughter them for what they had done to her son, no matter that it too.

She was going to make them pay!

'Ziva.' Tony approached her again. 'Whoever you're looking for, NCIS can help.' He tried to convince her to let them in.

'No one can help.' Ziva replied, her gaze still fixated on the material in her hands.

Tony reached towards her and lifted her chin to raise her eyes to meet his. He wasn't going to accept her answer, and tried to make her realise she wasn't alone.

'Then at least let me help.' He said. 'No one should be alone in whatever it is that's making you so...' Tony exhaled. 'You're hurting, Ziva.'

'The pain will not stop until I find him.' She pulled away and got into his car, giving him no chance to do the same. She stole his vehicle, which Tony could only stand and watch as it took off down the road and out of sight.

Jed had kept his distance until then. He walked up to Tony as they watched the cloud of dust Ziva had left behind.

'I will drive you back to NCIS.' Jed told him. 'I fear Ziva is getting too dangerous in her search, and you need to know what is going on.' He said. 'Before it is too late.'

* * *

Nathan hadn't been in his new room for more than an hour. He still had enough anger and energy to kick and fight his new surroundings, hitting his palms against the walls and growling to himself.

It was small, like the previous room, and the bed wasn't much different. The only significant change was the absence of a bedside table, which was replaced by a wooden chair instead. He glared at the chair, which acted as a table for the plate containing a few slices of bread and an apple, accompanied by a glass of water. He crinkled his nose in disgust and kicked the chair hard, sending it and the contents flying across the floor. It made a loud clattering sound, which didn't do much to satisfy his irritation.

His captors weren't outside the room, he noticed, otherwise they'd have come inside and given him a painful slap or an earful for his destructive actions. Nathan would have gone hungry the next day as a punishment as well, he knew, though the mess he had made now was likely still going to get him into trouble when they saw it.

Nathan kicked a wall and everything else, until he hit his hand against the windowsill at the end of the room, where a chip of dull white paint fell off. Pausing, he observed that the window was old, just like the house, and the wood framed appeared to be rotting. Nathan, flushed with renewed hope, grabbed the fallen chair and stood on it to reach the windowsill properly.

He attacked the frame as hard as he could, even using the back of his pencil to dig deeper until the wood finally gave away and broke free. Smiling, Nathan yanked the latch free. He looked behind him towards the door, and cautiously through the window, as he had to make sure the coat was clear first. He climbed up and jumped out the window, which was only just big enough for him to squeeze through. Nathan landed on his feed and remain still, listening for a few seconds to test he had evaded being noticed.

He then took off, running for his freedom as fast as he could with more determination than he'd ever shown in the five years since he had been taken from his mother.

* * *

Ziva swore in Hebrew when a car zoomed passed her. She concentrated hard on the road, and no flashbacks tried to invade her mind. And yet, there was something about Tony's car that annoyed her. It wasn't until she'd stolen it that she realised it was a substitute to him.

She did not want to tell him about Nathan, but in a way she also did.

Small shreds of hope within her said he could help her, that he would comfort her and convince her she would see Nathan again. All Ziva had now was his car, which smelt like him in an odd way and oddly of fast food.

She listened to his radio, which was barely audible, and wished Tony was there with her. She forced her mind from her feelings towards her co-worker, because Nathan was still missing and he was hurt. Somehow, after five years, she still knew they would never kill him. No, she would be the one to kill them. Ziva hummed along to the radio to calm her nerves, while her mind fixated on promising herself she would find Nathan.

No matter what she had to do, Ziva going to get her son back.

* * *

**Author's Notes: And that is chapter 3! Whatcha think? **

**-Mel**


	4. Reaching Out

**Author's Notes:** Thanks to my reviewers, **M E wofford, shopgirl14 **and **Immirose** for your reviews! I wrote Nathan to be like Ziva, but it's not until many of you point out several things or Ziva moments he reminded you of that I actually realise how much he's like her. I thought that was cool. Later you will find that the major difference between Ziva and Nathan is that she is quite guarded while he is not (will not hesitate to cry or hug someone close if he is upset etc).  
Some of you having been waiting for Ziva to let Tony in, but don't worry, she's starting to get more desperate so things will have to change if she wants to find Nathan. **Immirose**, you said you understood why Gibbs thought of Ari...and you are correct! I did not know if anyone would instantly know why Gibbs thought Ari is involved, so I had it explained in this chapter. Glad someone picked up on it.  
The reason Nathan was kidnapped and why he is still alive after five years will take longer to explain (gradually they will start to figure it out) so hang in there, in the meantime enjoy the TIVA etc. This fic will be going for a while so I'm glad a lot of people like it! Enjoy this chapter and please review!

**Underlined is Hebrew.**

* * *

It was just after five in the morning, when Gibbs came into work with a coffee cup in his hand and a frown on his face.

No one had heard from Ziva since Tony had came back to the office without her the previous day. Tony complained all afternoon, wondering loudly what she was doing to his car. Gibbs knew, even then, that if Ziva had shown up injured and his car was totalled beyond recognition, the vehicle wouldn't get a single glance or thought.

Everyone was worried about Ziva, not just Tony, who had returned with one of her friends. Jed told them Ziva was hunting down someone she'd lost five years ago, but he'd backed out of his promise to Tony and did not tell the team anything else on the subject.

The only information the team really learned was that Jed had been trained by Ziva at first, when he'd joined Mossad several years ago. It had been only a few months before she joined NCIS as a liaison. Gibbs would have held thrown him in interrogation to get more details out of him about what was going on (he had wanted to), but figured what whatever was going on with Ziva, Jed was her source of help. He did not want to take that from her, in case she needed it.

As Gibbs left the elevator and headed to his desk, he had to pause for a double take when he saw Ziva sitting at her desk. She looked reasonably calm as she finished up her paperwork. She had a habit of leaving dramatically and then coming back to work as though nothing alarming had ever happened prior. But Gibbs decided it had to stop; enough was enough. Yelling at her and lecturing wasn't going to work, he had to take a more fatherly approach as he so often did with the rest of his team during their times of trouble. And Ziva was certainly in some variety of a troubling situation.

'Ziva.' He said, looking down at her from where he stood in front of her desk.

'Gibbs.' She replied and looked up at him, seeming tired and preoccupied. Ziva sighed and bit her lip, which was another uncharacteristic action on her behalf. 'Tony is right.' She admitted. 'I need help.' Ziva looked downwards, as though asking for help was something to be heavily ashamed of.

Gibbs placed his coffee cup on his desk, and strode passed her while gesturing to be followed. Ziva hurried after him and stepped into the elevator in time. She remained quiet and apprehensive as she waited patiently for Gibbs to flip the emergency switch.

'Talk.' Gibbs said firmly, this time without any harshness or a demanding tone.

'I have done something stupid.' Ziva confessed. She lowered her gaze, unable to stand to see any disappointment or anger she felt she deserved from Gibbs.

'What did you do?' Gibbs asked and tried not to sound as worried as he was.

'I...' Ziva was flustered for a moment, but quickly replied. 'I may have tortured a man for information.'

'May have?' Gibbs echoed.

'I did.' Ziva exhaled.

'Where is he now?' Gibbs had a feeling he wasn't going to like the answer.

'I...' Ziva hesitated again as she stared hard at the floor of the elevator. 'I shot him.'

'Ziva!' Gibbs groaned and looked upwards with dread. He took a deep breath to resist the urge to slap her upside the head like he did to DiNozzo. 'Tell me you did not just leave him there?'

'No.' Ziva shook her head. 'I alerted the FBI and they collected the body. He was on their most wanted list, and for that they were...somewhat forgiving.'

'Why?' Gibbs asked the biggest question, which weighed on the mind of his team. 'What is so damn important that you'd go and risk everything?'

Ziva swallowed hard and looked at him, right in the eyes, as she replied. Her voice sounded weaker and more pained, as her three words alone were enough for everything to make complete sense to Gibbs.

'I have a son.'

And suddenly he understood. Ziva was looking for her son, who had been taken from her years ago. She was suffering from a natural parental need to protect her child, and bring him back to her.

'Why didn't you come to me?' Gibbs asked. 'I would understand.' His words were true, as he had lost Kelly and would never wish that on anyone. He'd have been right there with Ziva, taking every risky move she was.

Well, almost.

'I could not.' Ziva admitted. 'I did not want the others to know.'

'Who knows you shot Ari?' Gibbs whispered in a serious voice.

'You, and I.' Ziva realised what he was trying to tell her. 'But this is different.'

'Exactly. I never told anyone. But yeah, this is different.' Gibbs let out a breath and fell quiet as he thought for a moment, with Ziva watching him cautiously.

'I know my son is in Washington DC.' Ziva added. 'That I am certain of.'

'It's been five years. How can you be so sure he's still alive?' Gibbs asked the horrible question, only because someone had to.

'I would have known.' Ziva spoke with such certainty that Gibbs believed her right away. 'That, and he left me a message.' She told him. 'Please help me find my son.' She looked at him soberly, anxiously waiting for his agreement or reject to help her in her desperate search for her boy.

* * *

'Do you think Ziva's back yet?' McGee asked as he and Tony exited the elevator two hours later.

'Do you honestly think she'll...' Tony paused in mid-sentence as he stared at Ziva, who was seated in her desk like any other day. He turned to McGee with a surprised expression of disbelief. 'Pinch me.'

'No.' McGee frowned. 'You'll hit me.' He knew Tony too well. 'Hey, Ziva.' He wasn't sure how to react to the situation, but didn't want to be rude, especially when he was glad she seemed relatively okay.

'Good morning, McGee.' Ziva briefly smiled at him while she walked around her desk and stood in front of Tony, looking right at him. She grabbed his hand and overturned it, holding it in her hand for a moment before she dropped his car keys onto his open palm.

'Thank you.' She said. 'Your car is uncharged.'

'I think the phrase is "_unharmed_", and where were you?' Tony asked as he quickly pocketed the keys.

Ziva looked over at Gibbs, who was sipping coffee at his desk. She received a short nod of encouragement, and braced herself to tell the other two something she considered to be very personal and painful, which she had kept to herself for five years. She did not want to involve then in what she considered to be "her mess", but Gibbs had convinced her that McGee and Tony were her friends and would want to help. They would all want to do everything in their power to bring her son back to her.

'I have a son.' Ziva admitted for the second time that day.

She glanced away to avoid their reactions, not watching as the boys went into a state of shock, McGee even seemed to choke on his own oxygen.

'He was taken from my five years ago by a group of American kidnappers. He is still alive, and I cannot find him.' She sniffed. There were as informed as Gibbs, except she left out the details of the tortured man this time. She continued, giving the group more information, and finally opened herself to their assistance.

'His name is Nathan and he's almost eight-years-old...' Ziva paused to regain control over her emotions.

This was the first time she'd registered in her mind that Nathan was indeed nearing his eighth birthday, and she'd missed all of his milestones over the past years since they'd been apart.

As stunned and speechless as he was, Tony could not help himself as he went over to her and wrapped Ziva firmly in his arms. She started to cry. His actions had surprised everyone, including Ziva, but no one said or word about it or tried to stop him.

After a few minutes, of needed comfort from Tony, which was what she'd craved for all night, Ziva moved away from him and wiped her eyes. A renewed since of hope and determination shone in her gaze as she spoke again.

'I will not rest until he is found.' She told them. 'I gave up once, but it will not happen again!'

* * *

Nathan paused to catch his breath, but did not do so for long, as he kept running once again.

His legs were sore and his mouth dry, but this was his most promising escape so far and he could not give up. He'd been running for hours along the side of the road, and hid in the bushes ever time he heard a car to avoid being seen by the wrong people.

He'd passed out under some large shrubs the night before, unable to go on, and the cold had almost put him in a critical condition. Somehow, he still had it in himself to keep going. Perhaps he had gotten it from his mother? The sheer determination to survive and regain his freedom overrode every other body function.

His most recent prison had been isolated, as usual, and he had to run through many itchy fields before he'd found a road. As Nathan continued to run, he started to wonder if he had chosen the wrong direction as the road seemed to never end. His instincts told him this was the right way to go, and was rewarded a few minutes later with the glorious sight of a gas station, which loomed into view.

'We need more chips, Mary.' A man at the cast register said to his wife as they sorted through their supplies.

It was just after eight in the morning and they didn't usually get many customers for another hour.

Nathan startled the elderly couple when he burst through the doors in a panic. He slipped and fell onto the smooth, shiny floor in his hurry without adjusting to the new texture beneath his feet after running over gravel and terrain for so long. He hunched over on his hands and knees, breathing desperately for air.

'Are you okay darl?' Mary asked him worriedly.

'Can I please have food?' Nathan spoke through gasps, using all of his effort as he looked up at them.

'We're Americans, boy. Speak English.' The man frowned, though he too was concerned with the pale boy who was unable to breathe properly. He wondered if he should call someone for medical assistance, or perhaps the police.

Nathan hadn't realised his switched language until the man mentioned it, but he quickly corrected it. 'Food.' He said through jagged breaths. 'Please, please!'

Mary grabbed a packet of plain chips from a nearby shelf and a large wrapped cookie.

'Here. My gosh, what happened? Where are your parents?'

Nathan said nothing as he sat on the floor and ate his food as fast as he could. Almost choking, he accepted the bottle of water handed to him by the man, who had come around the counter to join his wife's side. Nathan drank the entire bottle of water and could finally manage his breathing a bit better.

'May I...phone?' He asked.

They nodded wordlessly and the woman retrieved the cordless phone from behind the counter, offering it to the child. They watched with utmost concern and disbelief when Nathan snatched it to hurriedly dial a number.

'MPD.' A bored police officer answered the phone three rings later.

'I've been kidnapped! They're after me. I need my Mama!' Nathan said in a panicky voice, not wanting to wait any more time.

'Sorry, kid. I can't understand you. Do you speak English?' The officer sat upright and was worried about the beaten-sounding child who had called him, speaking with pure fear and with uneven breaths.

Nathan frowned. How was he going to live if he kept getting his languages mixed up? Hebrew was his first Lanai, so it was still automatic to speak with it, even if it had been a long time since he'd spoken it. The timing was strange, though perhaps it was because of his level of fear and anxiety.

'I was kidnapped.' He tried again, swallowed before he continued. 'I can't stay. They're after me!' He tossed the phone to the man, who luckily caught it in time. 'Thank you.' He said to the couple, always remembering to thank kind people for their assistance. It was just as his mother had taught him. He could not remember her very well, but the lessons she had taught him in the first three years of his life had stuck in his mind.

'Wait, kid!' Mary lurched forward when he got up and clearly intended to leave. 'What's your name?' she asked, while her husband answered the police's questions about their location.

'Nathan David.' He told her quickly, and ran out the door again.

He glanced around the gas station, searching for anything he had to evade or indications as to where he should go. There was only an old, empty blue pick-up truck parked nearby and no signs. He was sure it was safe again, or as much as it could be while he was on the run, and took off towards the left. He headed in the direction he had been following for hours, hoping it would eventually lead him to a town with a real police station and people who were better equipped to help him. All

Nathan could think of as he ran was: _Please don't let them get me, no again. Please find me, Mama!_

* * *

**Author's Notes: Will she find him in time or will they get him again? The next chapter is a lot longer than usual and one of my more favourite ones. Please review, let me know what you think!**

**-Mel**


	5. Where He Belongs

**Author's Notes:** Thanks to my reviewers, **losingmymind2, shopgirl13, M E Wofford **(thanks for the PM review)**, Immirose** (your review made my smile, thanks) and **Terry Gibbs.** I would love to personally thank and comment on each your reviews as I usually do but I'm feeling rather sick today and yeah, but thank you all so much! Thank to all my recent reviewers as well.

* * *

'We're isolating the frames per second, with each fragment...' Abby was trying to explain the technical side of what she and McGee were doing with the video footage Ziva had given up. It was rather old, but in good enough condition to get the images and sound off. Ziva had recorded it herself, during a stakeout she'd gone on with Ari several years ago.

'English, Abby!' Ziva snapped at both of them. 'Sorry.' She added, feeling stressed and not herself lately.

'It's okay.' Abby sympathised. 'You lost your son. I don't know how you even survived that, or you, Gibbs.' She glanced at him, from where he was watching the plasma screen across the room.

'We do not survive it, we learn to deal.' Ziva replied. She grabbed her phone when it rang loudly, interrupting the moment. 'Shalom?'

'I picked up a call frequency-' Jed's words were cut off when Ziva spoke over him.

'I am tired and not in the mood for anything other than plain English.' She growled.

'The MPD got a call about twenty minutes ago, which I traced to a local gas station just outside the highway near Georgetown.' Jed explained. 'A young boy called and said he had been kidnapped, but was speaking a different language at first-' He never finished his sentence as Ziva had hung up on him.

'He escaped and called the police.' She told the others at rapid speed and ran from the lab. Gibbs, Tony, and McGee joined her at the elevator, which she frowned at.

'We're a part of it now.' Tony reminded her. 'You're not doing this alone.'

* * *

The police were searching the surrounding area of the gas station, when the NCIS team showed up in two cars.

Ziva instantly noticed a section of tall bushes had been closed off with tape and became very guarded. She headed straight for the section, while Tony ran to catch up to her for the sake of those around them.

'Ma'am, you can't-' One officer tried to stop Ziva, and received a very dangerous look in return.

'We're federal agents.' Tony jumped in and flashed his badge. 'You better let her through.' He advised. The two officers nodded in fear, thinking of the phrase "if looks could kill" and pondered its possibility.

'Did any vehicles pass through here after the boy ran off?' Gibbs was asking the owners of the gas station, after he'd gotten brief details from the police chief who had answered the phone call earlier.

'Ah...' The man tried to think if he had seen any traffic around that time, but thankfully his wife had a better memory than he did.

'Yes, only one.' Mary nodded. 'A black van.'

'Boss!' McGee called from further down the road.

Gibbs followed his voice and looked towards what he was being pointed to, which was a parked and partially hidden empty, black van. Ziva had been standing quietly nearby, her gaze trailed to the van as realisation set in. She looked wildly around the area and all rationality left her.

'Nathan!' Ziva called out loudly, startling some of the officers nearby. 'Mama is here to save you!'

Her blood went ice cold as a gunshot rang through the air, but she did not allow it to sink into her mind in fear of its meaning. She upholstered her own gun and bolted in the direction of the scattering birds. The team followed her without hesitation. Leaving the officers behind, they hurried through the trees and bushes until they all came to a stop near a partial clearing.

Everyone stared at the sight in front of them without saying a word.

Nathan sat on the ground, his face dirty and hair a mess, as he breathed heavily. His eyes stared widely as he focused straight ahead, his hands gripped tightly around the aimed gun he had evidentially fired.

Ziva checked the condition of the man, and was displeased to notice he was still breathing and was apparently only unconscious from the gunshot to the shoulder. She only allowed those five seconds of distraction before she turned towards Nathan. Her son had shot the man that had tried to kill him, but even he was unsure how he'd managed to get the gun from the fallen man. He was frozen at the sight in front of him, and the blood.

'Nathan.' Ziva spoke softly as she crouched in front of him, ignoring the gun aimed at her thigh.

She maintained all the emotions inside her, as she knew this situation had to be handled properly. Grabbing the child and hugging the life out of him was not an acceptable move right now, especially with the grip he had on the weapon. At the sound of her voice, his senses returned and he re-adjusted the gun to aim it at her neck.

'Leave me alone!' He pleaded in a shaky voice, no doubt upset by everything that had happened.

And now he was aware of four people watching him, three who stood a short distance away and also had guns in their hands

_When will the cycle stop?_

_When will the story end?_

_This is where I get off_

_Because I cant go there anymore_

_Its too hard to ignore the signs_

_Where did these tears come from?_

_It feels like they'll never dry_

_What have we both become?_

Ziva slowly, with his eyes watching her every move, lowered her gun to the ground and held her hands in the air in surrender.

'I am not here to hurt you.' She said carefully, barely blinking as she kept her eyes focused on his own. 'Do you remember me?'

_And I want you to know_

_That I loved you most_

_And it breaks my heart to see you go_

Nathan swallowed and stared at her face, scanning her features for any recognition, while biting his lip softly.

He held the gun steady, and without removing his eyes from hers, Nathan reached into one of his pants pockets and lifted out a worn photograph. Slowly, and with nervous caution, he lowered his gaze from her face and stared at the picture. His eyes widened and he let out a short gasp.

'MAMA!' Nathan screamed.

He jumped up from the ground, discarding the gun as he did so, and lunged into her arms. Ziva finally let her emotions slip, as she reached to cling to her boy, tears streaming from her face as she hugged him close to her.

_I wanted to make you proud_

_I wanted to see you smile_

_But it wasn't good enough yeah_

'Nathan, I have missed you so much.' Ziva cried, filled only with joyful relief.

Her baby boy that had been taken from her five years ago was alive, mostly uninjured, and now right back where he belonged in her loving embrace. With a triumphed laugh, she stood upright and lifted him with her. She kissed his cheeks over and over, not caring they were dirty or salty from his own tears.

Ziva didn't even notice the stranglehold he had on her neck.

_When will the cycle stop?_

_When will the story end?_

_This is where I get off_

_Cause we are strangers in time_

_Where blood is our only tie_

'You are never, ever leaving me again!' She grinned, nuzzling her face against his wild, messy dark hair.

During their heartfelt, long overdue reunion, Ziva made a terrible mistake. She failed to notice the man on the ground had regained consciousness, and was stretching his hand towards his fallen gun a few inches away.

_And I want you to know_

_That I loved you most_

_And it breaks my heart to see you go_

_And I want you to know_

_That I loved you most_

_And it breaks my heart to see you go _

'Argh!' Nathan screamed and clung further to Ziva when a gunshot fired right beside them.

Ziva gripped her son protectively, as she spun sideways and looked past her child to see the mean near her feet was dead this time. Her eyes were wide as she realised how close it had been, as his fingers slipped from the trigger.

She looked over at Gibbs, who had his gun raised at the man he had killed.

'Now we're even.' Gibbs joked, referring to how Ziva had saved his life from Ari and now he'd done the same for her son.

'Thank you.' Ziva smiled and slightly loosened her grip on Nathan as she comforted him. 'It's okay, he is gone now. He can never hurt you again. You're safe.'

Nathan removed his face from her hair and offered her a shy smile as she wiped away his tears.

'I love you, Mama.' He said quietly, reaching to wipe her own tears away as well, which made her laugh as she hugged him again.

After what felt like only minutes to mother and child, but seemed like hours to their company, Ziva finally turned and approached them.

'Nathan, these are my friends.' She introduced him.

He looped his arms around her neck and cuddled closely to her, trying to make up for five years without comfort and warmth.

'They are also my team.' Ziva explained.

She was still somewhat shocked she actually had her boy back, and how much older he was. It felt as though the moment he had been taken she'd gone into a coma, and now she was awake again.

'My boss, Agent Gibbs.' She continued. 'Say hello.'

Her previously buried maternal instincts had kicked back to the surface, and Ziva could not help making sure he used his manners.

'Hello, sir.' Nathan said shyly as he offered Gibbs a brief smile.

His memories reminded him when his mother used to always say someone with a level of authority or a boss was to be called "sir" or "ma'am".

'You're a very brave boy, Nathan.' Gibbs replied. 'It's an honour to meet you.' He received a proper smile in return, as he shook the boy's extended hand.

'This is my partner, Agent DiNozzo. Or Tony.' Ziva glanced at him, offering Tony a relieved smile as she introduced him to her son.

'Hello, Tony.' Nathan shifted his arms around his mother's neck as he spoke. She was still holding him, but they were both aware of the fact he wasn't three-years-old anymore and his weight would soon be too much for her to hold.

'Hey, Nathan.' Tony replied enthusiastically. 'It's good to finally meet you.'

'And Agent McGee, another friend and fellow co-worker.' Ziva finished.

'Hello, Nathan.' McGee said. 'I bet your mum is real proud of you.'

'Hello, McGee. Thanks.' Nathan nodded, his interest taken by a sight over his mother's shoulder.

He glanced at the body on the ground, seeing there was more pooling blood than before, which caused his breaths to become uneven again. Ziva frowned and turned him away so he couldn't see it, but Nathan kept trying to. She covered his eyes with her hand and ignored his complaints.

'I am taking him away from this.' Ziva said to Gibbs.

'Tony, to with them.' Gibbs nodded. 'McGee and I will handle this.'

'On it, boss.' Tony agreed as Ziva followed him back to his car.

Nathan stuck out his bottom lip in a pout as Ziva put him into the car and did up his seatbelt, way out of sight of the body and beyond earshot of what was going on. She got in beside him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders to keep him close as Tony drove them to NCIS.

She didn't speak, other than to request a quick stop by a nearby building so she could see Jed.

Tony complied, and stayed with the group but kept his distance as they went inside. It didn't take them long to find Jed's room, though Ziva was glad Nathan was walking on his own as she did not have the strength to hold him in her arms the entire way.

'You found him.' Jed grinned as he opened his apartment door to see Ziva and Nathan looking back at him.

'He's another friend.' Ziva assured Nathan, who was partially hidden behind her. 'He helped me find you. Without him...' She trailed off and gave Jed a one-armed hug. 'We are even.' She whispered into his ear.

'Thank you.' Nathan released his mother and hugged Jed as well, after hearing he had helped him be reunited with his mother.

Tony watched the scene from nearby in the hallway, thinking it was interesting yet strange to see Ziva so caring and soft with her son. It was a different side of her, and as much as he liked her the way she was – scary ninja moves and all – it was a nice change.

Tony thought Nathan seemed like a really good kid too.

* * *

They said goodbye to Jed a short time later, as he was preparing for his mission now that Nathan had been found.

The trio continued on their path to the Navy yard of the NCIS headquarters. While Tony wondered what Gibbs and McGee were doing back at the scene, such as getting details from the police and sorting out the body, Ziva's mind was blank. She smiled at her son as he stared at her, now remembering her more than ever as he clearly saw her face again and cuddled close to her.

'This is where you work?' Nathan became more talkative when they walked into the bullpen.

'Yes.' Ziva replied, holding his hand as she led him to her desk.

'It's big.' Nathan commented.

He had been living in small, stuffy rooms for the past five years and could not recall anything previous to that other than his kidnapping. In comparison, everything looked so huge to him, like when they'd driven through Washington DC, where he'd seen the city for the first time.

'Do you need anything?' Ziva asked. She wasn't sure how to best help him and make him comfortable, as she had not been in a mothering position for years. And the small things she could do for him felt so tiny.

'Um.' Nathan thought for a moment. 'I am hungry.' He noticed, thinking of his small snack at the gas station, which was all he had eaten in almost a whole day. 'And thirsty.' He realised, still worn out from his running. 'And tired.' He stifled a yawn, his body relaxing as he was no longer running away from kidnappers.

'All of the above.' Tony joked. 'Your mum hasn't eaten all day either. I'll go get us some pizza.' He left the room, with Ziva frowning at his retreating form.

Count on him to notice her decreasing eating patterns while she'd been anxiously searching for her son.

'Come here.' Ziva lifted Nathan off her chair and led him to the nearest water cooler. She got him a cup of water, which he drank fast and politely requested more.

'How long have you been running?' Ziva's expression creased as she noticed every detail of his exhaustion.

Nathan shrugged and sipped more water. 'Since yeast...yest...' He mirrored her frown. 'Day before today.' He sighed, his mind not in the mood for English, and his legs were starting to feel very weak.

'Yesterday.' Ziva corrected.

She couldn't believe her seven-year-old son had been running apparently non-stop for a whole day. She saw his yawn and picked him up, carrying him back to her desk where she seated him on her lap. Nathan leaned back against her and felt calm, something he had not experienced for as long as he could remember.

Ziva tussled his hair and wrapped her arms around his middle to hug him again. The happiness of having her baby boy back was truly surreal and overwhelming. Deep down, she had not lost grasp of the fact it was not over. It was very far from over. His kidnappers were still out there, while Ziva and Nathan had a long road of recovery ahead of them. She did not know yet what sort of ordeal he had endured, or how deeply it affected him, but if anything, she knew only one thing with pure certainty.

She was going to kill the men responsible.

* * *

**Author's Notes: That was one of my more favourite chapters. Yay, they're finally reunited! This means more TIVA and suspense (the kidnappers are still out there, and you'll find out more about them soon). Please review, I am most looking forward to responses from this chapter, more so than the rest, so far.**

**- Mel**

**P.S **The song is called** 'I want you to know'** by** Lifehouse**. Great lyrics, perfect for that moment and the pair. Also I do not own the son; I found it on Google after hours of searching. Please don't sue me.


	6. NCIS Friends

**Author's Notes:** Thank you to those who wished me well when I was feeling sick. The reviews made me smile and cheered me up, so I updated this fic faster to say "thanks" in return. Especially to **shopgirl13, M E Wofford, Immirose** and **losingmymind2**. Mother and child are indeed reunited, though there is not guarantee it'll stay that way. And **immirose,** I actually forgot that Gibbs did actually tell Ziva he owed her, but it was Kill Ari pt2 I was thinking of.

Thank you to everyone who helped to cheer me up and reviewed. The TIVA is coming, gradually, but it's coming and you'll get to know more about our young David boy as well. He's been through a lot so far, but it's still far from over. Enjoy!

* * *

Gibbs and McGee didn't return to the bullpen until later that after.

By then, the pizza Tony had brought back had been eaten. They walked in as Ziva was trying to wipe Nathan's face cleaner and combed his hand with her hand. The trio looked up as McGee and Gibbs passed them, but it was Nathan who moved first. He left his seat behind Ziva's desk and walked towards Gibbs, who had stopped putting his gun in his drawer to give the boy his attention. Nathan knew his mother was right behind him, and being in a federal agency build made him feel mostly safe. And there was something about Gibbs that gave off a trusting energy. The boss had also been the one to get rid of the man who had been trying to kill him.

'Nathan?' Ziva asked, unsure what he was doing or why he suddenly headed towards Gibbs.

The boy had reached Gibbs' desk and held up his wrists with his palms facing the floor.

'You should put me in jail.' Nathan told Gibbs. 'I hurt that man with a gun.' He frowned.

Gibbs smiled at the innocent and strong sense of justice in the boy. He knew nothing about his father, but Gibbs could see a lot of Ziva in the child.

'We're not going to arrest you for protecting yourself, Nathan.' Gibbs replied. 'If you hadn't pulled the trigger, who knows what might have happened.'

'He would have killed me.' Nathan said bluntly. 'Or taken me again.'

'Exactly.' Gibbs nodded.

Ziva scowled at him silently as she retrieved her son and pushed him back to her chair, not wanting him to talk about things that might upset him. Not now, at least, when he was still recovering from his ordeal.

'He has been through enough, Gibbs.' She said. 'You do not need to remind him.'

'May I ask why I have been called here, Jethro?' Ducky walked into the room. 'I have barely met the deceased and then Timothy is demanding me up here right away.' Ducky grumbled. He was clearly not pleased to have his autopsy interrupted by cryptic orders to go to the bullpen instead of doing his job.

'We found Ziva's son.' McGee told him and quickly looked at Gibbs. 'I wasn't demanding.' He defended himself.

'Oh, you found poor boy?' Ducky looked over and noticed Nathan sitting in his mother's chair while she stood behind him. 'Well, I beg my pardon, young man.' He smiled and took in Nathan's appearance.

The boy had dark brown hair like Ziva, though it was a shade darker. His brown eyes were identical to hers, as was his nose and confused expression. His skin was a tone or two lighter. He was dressed in baggy old-looking, dark green pants, with a faded red shirt over it. The attire was complete with a light brown, thick jacket. His hair was a mess, but most of the first was gone from his face after his mother's intervention.

'This is Doctor Mallard.' Ziva introduced to her son when she saw him stiffen. 'He is a dear friend, and works downstairs.'

'Please, call me Ducky.' The man insisted.

'They have a hospital here?' Nathan asked in surprise.

'Something like that.' Ziva answered. She didn't want him to know the man he'd shot and who had been involved with his kidnapping was right downstairs. 'He is going to make sure you're okay.'

'I feel fine.' Nathan shrugged with his mother's stubborn streak. He turned to look at her, and was given a stern look in return, so he let Ducky examine him.

'A few cuts and bruises.' Ducky reported. 'Nothing a clean cloth and band-aid can't fix.' He smiled, accepting the first aid kit from McGee.

The others watched Ducky use a bandage to treat the sore knee Nathan had received from tripping on the gravel, which luckily hadn't been left long enough to become badly infected.

When Ducky was finished and left the bullpen to return to the morgue, Abby came shuffling in on her platform boots, looking around frantically. McGee had called her only moments ago to fill her in on everything that had happened, and she was extremely eager to meet Ziva's son.

Nathan jumped away when he saw her, but the back of the chair had stopped him from going anywhere. Ziva, who had been talking to Gibbs, turned quickly when she saw his abrupt movement.

His eyes were wide with fear.

'Nathan, it's just Abby.' Ziva instantly went to calm him, just as Abby finally spotted the boy.

'Oh, I scared him.' Abby said sadly.

'He's still in defensive mode, don't take it personally.' Tony said quietly from his desk, which was where Abby stood by. 'And you are particularly black today.'

'Hey. Sorry about that.' Abby smiled at Nathan.

She removed her boots and took off her chained, black leather jacket. Next she undid her hair so it fell to her shoulders, and then her collar came off and was dumped on Tony's desk, making him jump with surprise in a similar (though not as drastic) manner Nathan had.

'How's that?' Abby asked Nathan, still smiling as she did her best to be friendly.

'Better.' He mumbled.

Nathan relaxed a little when Ziva's hand rested on his head, and another on the back of his chair. 'You have a lot of friends, Mama.' He commented, making everyone smile with amusement.

'Yes, I do.' Ziva nodded fondly. 'Abby works as a Forensic Scientist.' She added in explanation, as she had with Ducky.

'What's that?' Nathan looked upwards at his mother, tilting his head back so he could see her, and was momentarily distracted from Abby's appearance.

'She is a scientist who works with evidence. It is her job to prove if someone has broken the law.' Ziva explained.

'Oh. Cool.' Nathan smiled at Abby with renewed interest and less fear. 'Hi.'

'Wow, he speaks both languages?' Abby complimented him. 'But he's been in America for years, right? You have a great memory.' She praised.

'Thanks.' Nathan said. 'Um, they taught me.' He shrugged.

His words brought Ziva's attention to a full circle, while Tony leaned forward in his desk as he and the others focused entirely on the boy.

'They taught you English and Hebrew?' Ziva asked.

'Sometimes.' Nathan clearly did not want to talk about it.

'Well, you're good.' Abby said. 'Can I hug you?' She asked desperately.

'Hug me?' Nathan replied with surprise and turned to his mother again in panic. 'Why does she want to hug me?'

'Abby hugs everyone.' Ziva answered. 'She does not bite.'

Nathan gulped and slid off his chair. He walked to Abby and allowed her to engulf him in a hug, not realising he was holding his breath the entire time. When they parted, Nathan exhaled and stared at the spider-web tattoo on Abby's neck. He flung away from her and turned around, rushing to Ziva's desk for a piece of paper. He grabbed a pencil from nearby and tried to draw something as fast as he could.

'Nathan?' Ziva worried.

'One man had a tattoo!' Nathan said urgently. 'I have to...I gotta...'

Ziva bit her tongue to prevent herself from prying for ore details, and thus encouraging what he was doing. She wanted to catch those who were responsible, and as soon as possible, but she could not do it at the expense of her son. She released a breath and allowed her obsession to drop.

When Ziva had been pregnant with Nathan, she'd vowed to herself that she would always put her child first, before anything and above everything.

'No, Nathan.' Ziva softly took the pencil from him. 'You are tired and have been through a lot. We will worry about this later. You're safe now, no one is going to take you away from me again.'

'But they got away.' Nathan didn't understand as he sank back into the chair.

'Yes, and NCIS will find them.' Ziva nodded, indicating to Gibbs and the others.

'Your mum's right.' Gibbs helped. 'You've done all the work so far. You get some rest now, Nathan, and we'll take it from here.'

'Okay.' Nathan sighed, thinking about something else he found confusing. 'Mama, why are you not in Israel?' He asked.

Tony looked up at the boy's words, and hoped Ziva wasn't planning on leaving with Nathan to return to Israel.

'Do you remember when Ari had to visit America to help some people?' Ziva asked.

Technically Ari had been helping the wrong people, such as a Hamas terrorist cell, but Nathan didn't need to know that.

'Yes.' Nathan nodded.

'I am here to help NCIS.' Ziva said.

'Oh.' Nathan understood. 'I miss Uncle Ari.' He sighed. 'They told me he was gone.'

'Yes.' Ziva lowered her gaze.

Nathan had adored and looked up to Ari, which only made her feel guilty for what had happened, even if his actions were not her fault. It was a good thing Nathan did not know what Ari had done, the people he had hurt, or that she had been the one to kill him.

'He tried to save me.' Nathan remembered.

'What?' Ziva had not known of this before, not beyond what he had done to assist her, and therefore this was the first time she'd heard of it from Nathan.

'He came to save me, but they took him away.' Nathan remembered sadly. 'He gave me a birthday present.' He smiled and reached into his pocket, pulling out his blue pencil, which he had used to write a message to his mother on the wall of his former prison. 'It was a box of pretty pencils.'

'When was this?' Ziva wondered.

'I was four.' Nathan shrugged.

Tony was listening, but his mind was unsure.

He had always seen Ari as a monster. He'd been someone who wanted to hurt his friends, and the one had killed Kate, taking her from them forever. Hearing Nathan and Ziva talk about Ari made it seem as though they discussed a completely different man. He suspected Nathan did not know the truth about his uncle, and the fact Ziva was not correcting her son showed how much the boy worshipped Ari.

Tony felt it was almost in honour of Ari, which he did not like.

After having his mother taken from him at a young age, Nathan seemed to be quite okay now, but Tony knew he had to have the same emotion-hiding skill as Ziva. There was no way a child could have endured such a long kidnapping and then the shooting incident without being affected.

Ziva was thinking the same thing, but was more concerned with the fact she did not know what Nathan went through. A part of her wasn't sure if she wanted to know, but surely it had an impact on her son and had hurt him deeply. Now was not the time to address it, however. Now was a time to be happy for his return and take care of him.

'It's late.' Gibbs broke everyone's thoughts. 'Ziva, go home. Nathan has a lot of sleep to catch up on. Tony, go with them.'

'What?' Tony and Ziva asked in unison.

'Gibbs, I can take care of my son. I do not need Tony breathing down my neck.' Ziva frowned.

Her choice of words distracted her for a moment, as she tried to force images of Tony and his breath on her neck from her mind. His hands reaching up and...

'We are fine.' She said and approached Gibbs' desk.

'The people who took your son are still out there.' Gibbs reminded her.

'You think I don't know that?' Ziva hissed angrily. 'They will not get him!'

'How did they take him last time?' Gibbs asked.

She had told him, so he already knew, but he had to get a point across now because he knew that if she ever lost Nathan again, it would probably kill her this time.

'I was drugged.' Ziva admitted with shame. 'That will not happen again.'

'How else?'

'I was overpowered. Outnumbered.' Ziva looked away in defeat, understanding what he was trying to tell her.

'Exactly.' Gibbs nodded. 'Tony does with you.'

'Fine.' Ziva sighed. 'I will take the extra protection.' She nodded, surprising Tony with how easily she allowed it. 'Come on, my love, we are going home.' Ziva held her hand out for Nathan to grab, which he did so after sliding off his chair.

He followed her to the elevator, remaining quiet and obedient.

'Go on.' Gibbs gestured to Tony, who then ran after them.

'Why is Tony coming too?' Nathan asked as they left the Navy yard, starting to feel afraid again. 'They are coming back to get me, aren't they?' He grabbed his mother around the middle and buried his face against her. 'Please don't let them get me!' He cried.

Ziva glanced at Tony and then crouched to comfort her son.

'My little one, they will not get you. You do understand?' She said. 'Tony is coming with us because I want him to. He's a very special friend, but it's a secret. Can you keep my secret, my love?'

'Yes.' Nathan nodded and released his death grip on her. He looked up at Tony and smiled as he followed the pair to his car and got in.

Tony did not know what Ziva had said to the boy, but it somehow made him uneasy around them, judging by the looks he was getting the the way Nathan seemed to be much more interested in him now than he had been before.

'Are you going to drive, or should I?' Ziva asked when he didn't move.

'The kid's has been through enough for today.' Tony replied. He didn't want to subject the boy to his mother's insane driving, not if he could help it. Besides, it was his car. 'I'm driving.' He told her and got into the car, starting the engine while she joined him.

'Home.' Nathan smiled and closed his eyes as he rested his head back against the seat.

'What did he say?' Tony wondered. Ziva sat beside him in the passenger seat, looking back at her son through the mirror with tense fondness.

'Home.' She smiled. 'I'm taking my baby boy home.'

* * *

**Author's Notes: Ta-da! that's chapter six done, and the TIVA-ness starts next chapter, I believe. Please let me know what you think!**

**-Mel**


	7. The First Night Home

**Author's Notes: **Thanks to all of my reviewers! To comment/answer questions: You will see hints about Nathan's father throughout the story until Ziva finally talks about it, as Nathan doesn't know him, only a few basic facts. The TIVA does start this chapter, but keep in mind that not only do I have to establish things between Ziva and Tony, but also between Nathan and Tony. Nathan still has a lot of his innocence, because he isn't thinking about what has happened and they didn't hurt him too much (no strong torture or violence, most of the time).

You may notice this chapter is longer than most previous ones, as will a lot more future chapters following this one. I hope you all like it. Enjoy and please review!

* * *

'Now.' Ziva said calmly. She stood firmly in the bathroom and pointed across to the laundry basket in a corner.

Nathan glared at her with an expression Ziva was confident he had inherited from her.

He sighed loudly and picked up his discarded jacket from the floor, moving across the room to place it into the basket. Ziva had five years of good manners and habits to teach him. Nathan needed to know right away that she was not going to tolerate laziness or rude behaviour, even if she just wanted to hug and pamper him all night.

He had to learn from the start, and there would be plenty of time to cuddle him later.

'Come on, before the water gets cold.' Ziva said.

She helped him with his shirt and let him do the rest. She had been worried at first about how he would react to being in the bathroom with him while he undressed, since he was no longer three-years-old. Ziva was actually thankful that Tony was right outside the room in case she needed a man to stand in, which was one of the downsides to being a single mother to a boy. But, thankfully, Nathan didn't seem to care at all and was about to climb into the bathtub when she stopped him.

'Where do dirty clothes go?' Ziva asked.

Her tone was never strict or pressuring, as she took careful care to only be firm enough for him to know he had rules to obey and needed to do what his mother told him to.

'The floor?' Nathan asked innocently with a cheeky grin.

He picked them up and tossed the items into the basket to join his jacket.

Afterwards, Nathan got into the tub and smiled a little at the bubbles surrounding him. He scooped handfuls of them to play with while Ziva washed his hair. It took a while, which was mostly spent in silence, before she finally decided to ask him. She hoped the answer wasn't going to be a painful one for her to hear, or for him to share.

'You do not smell too bad, Nathan.' She said carefully. 'Did they let you wash?'

'Sometimes.' He replied without sounding upset or pained by it, assuring his mother it was safe to assume he had no traumatic experiences there. 'Mostly when I started to smell.' Nathan added, playing with the remaining bubbles that hadn't started to disappear already.

'Hold your head up and close your eyes.' Ziva instructed.

She scooped a container of water to tip over his soapy hair, something she could remember doing multiple times when he was younger. And if she recalled correctly, he never did listen...

'Ah!' Nathan helped when the water got into his eyes and nose. 'Mama!' He turned around to pull a face at her.

Ziva offered him a small hand-towel to dry his eyes. 'You did not listen.' She stated simply. 'Head up, and eyes closed.' She said again, to which he obeyed instantly. 'Now wash yourself. I am going to check on Tony and made sure he hasn't touched anything he shouldn't, or has ordered any food. You need a proper meal. I will be back soon.'

Ziva left the bathroom, leaving the door a few inches open in case he called out.

She didn't know what Tony was actually doing, but hoped he hadn't gone through any of her belongings like the curious and nosey investigator he was. Ziva. breathed in relief when she found him sitting on her couch, where he was contently watching a movie.

'Anything good?' She asked casually to alert him to her presence.

'Back to the Future, first one.' Tony answered as he turned around to look at her. 'How's the kid?'

'He is still not closing his eyes when I tip water on his head.' She sighed, unsure what else to say.

'Why were you tipping water on his head?' Tony smirked as he found the entire statement amusing.

He had heard the yell from the seven-year-old earlier, but it had sounded more annoyed than distressed so he'd figured Ziva was still in her "Mama has rules" mode.

'I was washing his hair, Tony.' Ziva rolled her eyes. 'Did you not see how dirty it was?' She looked around for any signs of take out food. 'Did you order anything?'

'Was I supposed to?' Tony redirected the conversation, not sure if she had wanted him to or not.

'No.' Ziva went to the fridge and got out several items she needed to prepare dinner. 'Nathan needs a proper meal.' She said, moving to make something simple as it was almost seven already.

Of course, one thing she had learned about motherhood was it often brought about situations in the most inconvenient times. Just as her arms were full and she was busy in the kitchen, Nathan started yelling for her. Ziva paused and listened to his yells, deciding he either wanted to get out or had a minor annoyance, therefore she turned to Tony.

'Could you see what he wants?' She asked. 'I have just turned the stove on.'

'Ah...' Tony was a bit taken aback by her request. He wanted to object and complain, but decided to see what Nathan was yelling about when he realised Ziva was surrounded by many potential weapons.

He shortly reached the bathroom and knocked on the door awkwardly, not sure if he should go inside or not.

'Hey, your mum's busy. Is everything okay?'

'Help.' Nathan winced. 'Ow.'

Tony pushed open the door and saw Nathan sitting in the tub with his eyes squeezed tightly shut.

'What happened?' Tony wasn't sure what to do or what was wrong.

'I got soap in my eyes.' Nathan said, his voice sounded more strained as he spoke.

Tony spotted a small hand-towel draped over the sink and grabbed it. He noticed Nathan's hands were covered in soap as well, so he crouched beside the tub and began to wipe the boy's eyes.

'Keep still.' He advised. Tony remembered being in the same situation once when he'd been a lot older than Nathan was now. Soap in the eyes really hurt.

'It stings.' Nathan whimpered when he was able to reopen his eyes.

'Okay, hang on.' Tony grabbed a nearby container and filled it with fresh, warm water from the sink.

When he'd gotten soap in his eyes at fourteen, it was while he'd been taking a shower so rinsing was easier for him than it was for Nathan, who was in a tub with the shower too high above his head.

'Look up.' He instructed.

Nathan did as he was told, having learned his lesson the first time water had come down over his head that night. Once Tony assured himself and the boy that Nathan was fine, he turned to leave.

'I want to get out.' Nathan said.

He shivered where he sat, as the water had gone cold and it wasn't very deep because his knees were sticking up through the surface.

Tony hesitated.

He knew Ziva was busy and would probably inflict bodily harm on him for leaving her son there to freeze, but kids were not an area of expertise for him. Give him a crime scene to search or a suspect to interrogate any day of the week. Well, besides the fact it would mean someone was dead, Tony still thought it was easier than dealing with kids.

He grabbed a green towel from the wall rack, deciding it was Nathan's. The other one was pink, which was something he had trouble associating with Ziva, except when his mind worked against him to imagine what she would look like in the towel...

A chatter of teeth brought him back to his task, as Nathan climbed out of the tub.

Tony wrapped the towel around the boy and trusted that Nathan could dry himself. He didn't need to worry, however, as he stepped back and saw Siva standing in the doorway. She watched for a moment, then come into the bathroom to dry her son properly. She then helped him dress in to one of Tony's shirts, which he had given up for Nathan to wear to bed over his underwear. It was late after their ordeal, so Ziva hadn't had time to buy fitting clothing for her son.

She planned to do the shopping first thing in the morning.

With bath-time finished, the three of them went to eat their meal in comfortable silence. Tony had to admit, Ziva's cooking was really good even if she'd referred to it as a "rushed and basic" meal. Nathan appeared to agree as he ate as much as he could, even making it to a third helping before his stomach declined any more food.

After dinner had been cleaned up, Ziva let the others know she had arranged for Ziva to sleep with her in her bed until she was able to get a bigger place for them both. Nathan was very happy with that, as he wanted to stay close to his mother. Tony didn't say anything, as he wondered how much of the arrangement was to do with the fact Ziva only had one bed, which was a double, or if there was an underlining fear of them both being separated again.

He, of course, got the couch.

As it wasn't quite time for bed yet, Ziva had a little surprise for Nathan, which she'd bought in the spur of the moment on the way home. She sent the boys to living room and headed back to the kitchen.

Tony wouldn't realise until later that night, but at that moment Ziva had placed the highest level of trust in him that night, to leave him mostly alone with her son twice in his first night home. They were still in her line of sight, but the sentiment and trust was the same.

'Here you go.' Ziva smiled as she placed a bowl of chocolate ice cream in front of Nathan, was pleased when his face lit up with joy. 'And, of course.' She offered another bowl to Tony.

'You are too kind.' He joked and accepted it.

'Yes, I am.' She said seriously.

He frowned in attempt to work out if she'd meant her words, and didn't see her smirk as she turned her back to him and went to wash up the dishes in the kitchen.

'Tony?' Nathan asked after consuming a few mouthful of ice cream, hearing his mother's words of warning about eating ice cream too fast. 'Is it okay for a boy to cry?' He wondered curiously.

His face remained casual, but his serious gaze spoke volumes of his question.

'Sure.' Tony replied and knew it would be wrong to tell Nathan otherwise. 'We're pretty tough guys.' He added with a wink. 'But if something hurts badly enough, then sometimes it's good to cry it out.'

'Yeah.' Nathan nodded and returned to his ice cream.

'We have that in common.' Tony nodded with a grin.

They finished their ice cream and placed the empty, licked-clean bowl on the coffee table, neither being in the mood to take them to the kitchen for Ziva to wash them.

Tony got out a desk of cards he'd found on Ziva's table earlier when he'd snooped around, and introduced Nathan to the game of "Go Fish".

Ziva heard the soft laughter coming from the living room and looked over at the pair, realising it was the first time she had heard her son laugh in over five years. It was a wonderful sound. Ziva smiled at the sight of the two boys she cared about the most laughing together on her couch.

* * *

It was close to an hour before midnight when Ziva soundlessly jerked awake.

She had been having a nightmare about Nathan and the kidnapping. She stared to her right at Nathan's sleeping form in the mostly dark room, before she calmed herself and remembered he was safe. Ziva cautiously and gently left the bed double bed and opened her bedroom door. The bathroom was across from her room; she partially closed the bedroom door so the light from the other room wouldn't wake Nathan.

Switching on the light in the bathroom, Ziva walked to the sink and splashed her face with cold water. She froze when there was the sound of footsteps, turning quickly to see Tony standing in the doorway looking half-asleep.

'What doing?' He mumbled.

Tony had been woken by the light and sound of running water, just when he'd been able to get some sleep.

While Ziva made an excuse about why she was awake without telling him about her nightmare, Nathan was lying asleep in the bed across the hall with a nightmare of his own plaguing his thoughts...

_It was dark. _

_Nathan sat in the corner of an empty room with hardwood walls and no windows. The man who had been chasing, and who Nathan had been shot that day, was sitting in a chair on one side of the room. He sat there, just watching him, with an evil smirk on his face._

_Nathan remembered being saved by his mother, so he was confused and didn't realise he was dreaming. He looked around, but the room was different now. He saw his mother lying face-down on the floor near the door, surrounded with a puddle of blood around her head. She wasn't moving. He ran to her, trying to help her and wake her up, but the man grabbed him from behind. _

_Nathan struggled and yelled, hearing only the man's laughter echoing in his mind..._

'NO!' Nathan screamed.

He felt a grip on him and fought as hard as he could, until his mother's voice reached his ears.

'Nathan!' Ziva said worriedly.

He finally opened his eyes hysterically, seeing she was the one who was trying to hold him.

'I am here, baby.' She pulled him close when he broke down in tears and sobbed against her, his face sweaty as his eyes showed pure terror. 'Shhh, it is okay. You are safe, Nathan.' She soothed him.

Tony stood in the doorway, watching the scene.

He had seen a lot of scared children and victims over his time as a law enforcement officer, but Nathan's pain got to him the most. Maybe it was because this boy was Ziva's son, and if he was hurting than it meant Ziva was hurting along with him as she hated to see Nathan like this. Tony watched as Ziva helped Nathan back under the covers and softly sung a Hebrew lullaby to him.

Tony was surprised by the gentle tone of her voice, and her singing was very good.

'You are safe now.' Ziva promised. Her song calmed him down, but still he could not sleep. 'I am right here. No one can get you. Sleep, my child.' Ziva lay in the bed beside him, keeping him close in her loving embrace.

Nathan did feel safer, but he did not feel untouchable by those who wanted to hurt him.

He looked over and saw Tony standing against the frame of the doorway. This "special friend" of his mother's worked at NCIS with her. He had helped Nathan with his soapy eyes when his mother couldn't. Maybe if his mother wasn't able to save him, then Tony could.

Nathan bit his lip and reached his hand towards Tony, surprising both of the adults. Ziva smiled softly at her son's trust towards her partner, and knew what he must be thinking.

'Will you feel safer if Tony slept with us too?' She asked and Nathan nodded. 'Tony, would you mind?' She asked and moved over so there would be more side of the bed for Tony on Nathan's opposite side.

Tony glanced at the terrified, pleading face of the boy and nodded. He climbed into the bed so Nathan was secured between himself and Ziva as the boy had wanted. It felt strange at first, but when Nathan reached over and gripped his arm while leaning back against Ziva's embrace, it felt right.

Tony had only known Nathan for a very short time, but he felt a protectiveness towards the boy already. It was why he had been unable to sleep several hours ago.

Tony was mad.

He was angry that a group of bastards had taken this wonderful little boy from his mother, and caused them both so much pain for five years. As he lay in Ziva's with Nathan's hand gripped tightly within his own, there was another feeling that emerged inside him: an odd sense of belonging.

'Now you're extra, extra safe.' Tony joked to Nathan.

He was rewarded with a small smile, as the boy closed his eyes, his face looked perfectly calm and content for the first time in a very long time.

'Thank you.' Ziva whispered.

She looked at Tony with a strange expression. He could not remember ever seeing her face look like that. Actually, no, he had seen if a few times. It was how she looked at Nathan. The expression was hardly visible to him, but clearly enough to Tony as she stared at him with what could only be described with one word: love.

Tony watched Ziva close her eyes, as Nathan had already fallen back to sleep.

Tony sighed inaudibly and stared at the ceiling of the room instead, thinking it was going to be a while before he could get any sleep that night, if ever.

* * *

**Author's Notes: I have been working on chapter 20 already, which is a Christmas chapter, though sadly I don't think it will be up in time for Christmas. I have no foreseeable end to this fic yet, so there's still plenty more to come. I also want TIVA to be a journey of gradual building of a relationship, not something that happens suddenly from built-up tension. Just because they're not a couple yet, does not mean there will be any lacking of TIVA. And there's a lot more coming. **

**What do you think of this chapter? Do you have any hopes or ideas for future chapters? Any questions? Please let me know, and review, as they make me happy and motivated to write/update more.**

**- Mel**


	8. Shopping

**Author's Notes:** _Merry Christmas, everyone!_ Consider this chapter your gift. Thanks to my reviewers for your comments and feedback, though I waited specifically until Christmas to post this. **M E Wofford**, Glad you love it, and Tony is feeling a bit different in the situation and will lead to more later on, with him started to wonder and think about possibilities. **losingmymind2**, Gotta love the TIVA, and your review made me laugh, thanks. **Tivalover, **heh, your name says it all. The Ziva/Tony/Nathan was better than you hoped for? That made me happy. Nathan is wonderful kid, when he's not mad at something :). **Immirose,** laughing at Nathan getting soap in his eyes is evil, but we all have a darker side! I liked it too. You think I should get more reviews? Wow, because I feel very lucky with the ones I do get!

Several of you commented you like that Tony and Ziva aren't just jumping into a relationship or bed, which I'm glad to hear it because I intend to take it at a gradual pace. Anyway, here's the next chapter, quite longer than usual also. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Shopping**

When Tony had settled in Ziva's bed the previous night, at Nathan's request, he did not think he'd be able to go to sleep after seeing Ziva give him a loving smile. Tony was certain he'd be lying restlessly awake until the early hours of the morning, but he'd actually dozed off a mere ten minutes later.

Tony wasn't brought from his slumber until the sun shone through the small gap in Ziva's pale green curtains the next morning.

He opened his eyes and took a moment to remember where he was, knowing he hadn't gone to a bar the night before. Looking to his left, Tony knew the warmth against his chest was Nathan, who was sprawled out between Tony and Ziva. The sleeping child's hand was latched onto a part of his shirt as well.

Tony glanced over the boy and saw that Ziva was already awake.

Her alert, serene calmness made him wonder how long she had laid there on her side, watching her son sleep with a smile on her face. In barely a day since she'd gotten Nathan back, Tony had seen her smile a lot more. It was a nice smile, he thought, because it reached her eyes unlike most of the other smiles he had seen on her face in almost four years he had known Ziva.

She gently played with a strand of Nathan's hair, though he didn't seem to notice, which suggested Nathan was actually a rather sound sleeper who wasn't woken easily. With the exception of when he was having a nightmare, like he had the night before.

Ziva released Nathan's hair, letting it slip through her fingers, and looked over at Tony.

They were both thankful it was a Saturday, and therefore neither of them had to get up for work unless a case was called in and Gibbs took it. She opened her mouth to say something to him, but Nathan roused in his sleep and opened his eyes in mid-yawn.

'Morning.' He mumbled.

'He said, morning.' Ziva translated to Tony before all of her attention went solely to her son. 'And good morning to you, Nathan. Did you sleep well?'

'Yes.' Nathan nodded sleepily and turned to look at Tony. 'Thanks.'

'No problem.' Tony nodded and got out of bed when Ziva did.

'Do you have to go back to NCIS?' Nathan asked his mother, sitting upright in alertness to her moving away from him.

'No.' Ziva replied. 'Today is Saturday.'

'So yester...yesterday was Friday?' Nathan's expression creased with concentration.

Tony tried not to smile at the sight of the frown on the boy's face, because it was very alike Ziva's when she tried to get her English right.

'Yes, that is correct.' Ziva praised him. 'Please retrieve your clothes from the bathroom, but this will be the last time you'll wear them. We are going to buy you new things today.' She said and ruffled his hair.

'Okay, Mama.' Nathan said as he slid off the bed and hurried from the room to get dressed.

* * *

Ziva made pancakes for breakfast, which everyone agreed was delicious.

After the meal, Tony waited in the living room for Ziva and Nathan, who were still getting ready for their shopping trip. Ziva was determined to get her son the things he needed, such as clothes, toys, books, and anything else he requested that was reasonable.

The kidnappers hadn't be caught yet, and Gibbs had ordered Tony go with them the night before. Because of those reasons and more, Tony was not going to leave the pair alone on their outing. Ziva had argued against it, but Nathan begged otherwise until she gave in.

A short time later, the three of them got out of Tony's car and walked into the large chopping complex, which was only a ten minute drive from Ziva's place. Tony had insisted on driving and used the excuse of it being his car, though he could tell Ziva knew the other reasoning he had for the decision. He was doing his best to save Nathan from his mother's driving, and himself as well because he'd just eaten.

'Whoa!' Nathan exclaimed as they entered the building.

He was surrounded by shops selling anything you could think of, and a large crowd of people going about their business in every direction. It all made Ziva a little edgy, but Nathan only found it fascinating as he'd never seen something like this before in his life.

'Where to first?' Tony asked.

He did up his jacket to better conceal his gun and holster, not wanting to alarm any innocent bystander passing by, or store clerk. The last thing they needed was security on him because someone had frantically noticed he was armed. Ziva didn't have to worry, as her coat was long and wide enough to hide her gun with ease.

'Clothes.' Ziva answered.

Tony followed the pair as they browsed many different outfits and colours. Normally, Tony was one of those men who got stuck following a woman would while she shopped, endlessly asking his opinion even when he didn't see the difference between a light blue shirt or a dark blue one.

But Ziva wasn't like most women.

She looked around and let Nathan pick any colours or styles he liked, and then made sure they fit him and weren't too expensive. She didn't ask Tony what he thought, probably because she knew he wasn't going to wear the clothes, and therefore it didn't matter what he thought of the selections.

Although, as they headed to the counter after about two hours of extensive clothes shopping, Tony did realise he had somehow ended up carrying every single item they had bought.

After the clothes came shoes, and then the book-store.

Tony wasn't have a great time, unlike Nathan, as he put his focus into being aware of the crowd, and shopping for children belongings was not something he enjoyed or cared for. He was content enough to hang out with them, though, as he got to see Ziva's "real" smile more, and her laughter was music to his ears. There was the added bonus of the fact she'd worn a particularly tight skirt today and walked ahead of him. He was enabled a full staring view of her butt, as long as she didn't catch him.

'Tony, what are you doing?' Ziva narrowed her eyes at him while Nathan sat on the floor nearby to try on his new black shoes.

She stared right at Tony, and he knew right away she hadn't really asked him a question, and knew damn well what he had been doing.

'What are the chances of my telling you and living?' Tony winced.

'None.' She said, glaring at him as she pretended to be mad that he was paying such attention to her figure.

'In that case, I was doing nothing, Ziva. I was just admiring the gum on the ground, they really should clean that up.' Tony flashed her a charming, falsely innocent grin, which she rolled her eyes at and then ignored him.

'Do they fit okay?' Ziva asked her son.

Nathan nodded as he twisted on the spot to see them from where he was standing, and admiring his new shoes. All morning he had been action like any normal child who was spending time with his mother. To any bystander, the three of them could easily look like a family as they bought the shoes and left the store.

'Ice cream!' Nathan grinned sometime later when he spotted a small stand with pictures of ice cream cones and various toppings. He wasted no time pointing it out to his mother. 'Mama, can I have some ice cream please?' He asked politely and gave her his best pleading look.

It was an expression Ziva had been falling victim to all day, which Tony found to be very amusing.

'We do need a break.' Ziva nodded. She tried to hide how much her son was getting his way with her money. 'Tony?'

'I'm all for some ice cream.' Tony smirked.

As they made their selections, Ziva felt she was shopping with two children instead of one.

They sat at a small table to eat their ice cream cones in comfortable silence. Nathan curiously glanced around at the crowd. Ziva broke their silence nearby to speak with Tony about something work-related, which Nathan wasn't listening to. He had just noticed a boy who was a few years younger than himself, sitting nearby with his parents and sister.

Nathan frowned at the sight, turning in his seat to pay more attention to the specifics of the crowd and noticed there were children everywhere with their parents, shopping, complaining, and laughing together. There was also a man and woman taking a break at a table nearby, just like they were. The man's arm was around her shoulders as she kissed his cheek softly.

Nathan looked over at Tony and his mother, raising his eyebrows as they talked to each other. Tony's hand was right next to hers, though they weren't touching. Another laughter reached his ears, as the couple he had been watching found something funny. The man whispered into the woman's ear, which made her laugh even harder.

They looked so happy together.

'Are you finished?' Ziva asked her son, who was no longer eating his cone.

'Yes.' Nathan said and dumped the remainder into a nearby trash bin.

He got up to follow his mother and Tony while they tried to work out where to go next. His attention was still on the crowd as they walked around. He pulled a face at an overweight man with multiple piercing in his ears and ugly tattoos all down his arms. He looked up to see Tony leaning close to his mother, who had noticed the man as well. Whatever Tony had said, it made Ziva snort. She covered her mouth in shock and tried to hide her laughter.

Nathan stared at the scene, then jumped forward and grabbed his mother's arm.

'Mama!' He pleaded for her attention.

'What is it?' Ziva asked quickly.

Tony looked around the area for a possible threat or cause of alarm, wondering why the boy was suddenly trying to get her attention.

'Why don't I have a papa?' Nathan asked.

'He died, Nathan.' Ziva said sadly. 'You know that.'

'Yeah, I don't mean that papa. But why don't I have a new papa? Isn't that what happens?' He asked, confused. 'If someone loses a papa, their mama finds them a new one. Why don't I have a new one?' Nathan looked up at Tony, who didn't notice the attention he was getting as he continued to scan the area and kept distant from the situation, though he did listen closely to what was being said.

'Nathan, it is much more complicated than that.' Ziva brushed some hair from his face. 'I am sure one day we might find someone who will be very happy to be your papa. But that is not something to stress over now, okay?' She kissed his forehead, getting a little nervous with the way Nathan kept watching Tony.

'Okay.' Nathan said.

The boy was startled when a sudden sound went off, making him jump and cling to his mother's side.

He looked around wildly in panic, but it was just a young girl throwing a tantrum in the book-store, pulling out books from a shelf and tossing them onto the ground while yelling. He grabbed Ziva's hand for reassurance anyway, as his mind went back to the fact the kidnappers were still out there somewhere, maybe even in the shopping complex, following him, watching him.

Nathan gave an involuntary shiver and reached to grab Tony's hand as well, just as he had the night before.

'Are you hungry?' Ziva asked, to which he nodded to. 'How about we get some lunch?' She offered in attempt to get his mind off what she was sure he was thinking about.

Nathan nodded again, not wanting to say a word as his wide eyes watched every person near them in the crowd. He could see his kidnappers everywhere, and yet was rational enough to realise it was his fear of being taken away that made him so paranoid.

The three of them walked to the food court with Nathan gripped both of the adult's hands tightly as they walked. There was a McDonald's there and Nathan wanted a happy meal, so they headed over to order as the line was rather short.

'Hi, and welcome to McDonald's!' A woman grinned broadly at them.

Her voice and expression made Ziva's nose crinkle in annoyance, as she thought the woman was far too giddy for her liking.

Tony ordered their meals, complying to what Ziva requested, and then looked down at Nathan, who was staring at the strange woman with an expression similar to his mother's.

'And what would you like?' The woman asked Nathan. 'Same as your parents?' She asked, making Ziva growl softly.

'No, I want a Happy Meal, please.' Nathan asked.

He looked up at Ziva and then Tony for reassurance, keeping his grip on both of their hands, not noticing it made it hard for them to pay for and collect their orders.

Tony wasn't sure how to react, so he maintained a neutral expression and kept his conversations casual. They sat at a table to eat, with Ziva doing most of the talking, until Nathan showed his liking for the small toy train he got with his meal.

'Can we go to the toy store next?' Nathan asked Ziva.

'Yes. We saved the best for last.' She smiled.

Ziva brushed strands of hair from his face and kept her mind on their shopping, trying not to think about what the too-cheery woman had said about them. She supposed they did look perfectly like a family to those around them and Ziva didn't know what she thought of that.

* * *

'This is a bad idea.' Tony muttered to himself as they walked into the massive toy store. Nathan's eyes almost popped right out of his head at the sight of the rows upon rows of toys in every colour and shape.

'Very, very bad idea.' He shook his head.

Ziva had reached the same conclusion as Tony, when Nathan startled them both by yanking on their hands to drag them down the isles of every imaginable toy. But before things could get out of hand, Ziva gave Nathan a limit to the amount of toys he could have and the price range of each. Nathan frowned at her words, but it kept him under control while they shopped, rather than running around in an excited frenzy.

They must have wandered around for at least an hour before they went to the counter, Tony's arms loaded with many different toys and games that Nathan wanted. It wasn't until after they'd paid for everything and left the store did the boy see a large toy train in the window.

'Mama, look! I want the train, please.' He begged, but they had already slightly exceeded her price range for the toys and she could not afford to spend any more money than she already had.

'Nathan, I cannot.' She told him. 'If I had more money, perhaps, but we still need to eat and that is more important.'

Nathan didn't complain, as he was used to so little and he understood what she was saying. He nodded sadly at her words and looked down at the floor.

Tony shifted the weight of all the bags he was carrying and glanced at Ziva to see if they were leaving yet, as he felt he he was given any more bags to hold he was going to fall over. He was impacted by her guilty expression as she watched Nathan stare longingly at the train he wanted so badly, but had not seen in time to have. Tony glared at himself and dumped all of the bags onto a nearby seat and the floor around it. He pulled out his wallet with a heavy sight, catching the attention of the other two.

'Tony, you do not have to...' Ziva said, knowing what he was planning.

'I want to, if I have enough.' Tony said as he counted his money and tried to remember how much was left on his credit card.

'Can I have the train?' Nathan's face lit up. 'Please, Tony, please?' He used his innocent puppy face, which had been working on his mother all day, and Tony made the mistake of looking at it.

Ziva smirked behind the back of her hand and tried not to laugh when Tony paused at the look Nathan gave him, being unable to resist it either. Tony made a sound and walked into the store, deciding he was going to buy the damned train.

'Thank you!' Nathan's grin spread over his young face when Tony returned with the train. 'Thank you, Tony!'

Nathan ran to him and hugged Tony around the middle tightly, before he stepped back and reached for the box containing his treasured toy.

'Yeah, don't mention it.' Tony said.

He was annoyed at himself for falling victim to Nathan's puppy look when the boy wasn't even his kid. Although, Tony had to keep reminding himself that Nathan wasn't his son. He was just looking out for Nathan and Ziva. He was only doing his job, Tony told himself. Sure, he had an attraction to Ziva, he knew it, but that wasn't what was important right now. All Tony was trying to do was make sure Nathan and Ziva weren't separated again. He wasn't falling into an almost-family role for them at all.

Tony frowned as he struggled to re-gather the shopping bags and followed the pair out of the shopping complex. He loaded everything into the car, being surprised it even fit, but was grateful to be relieved of the bags.

Nathan got into the back seat with his train held to his chest, though the box was still unopened. Ziva waited for Tony as he shut the car door and went to get into the driver's seat, but she blocked his path.

'You are not driving my car.' Tony said firmly, thinking she intended to steal the keys from him.

Instead, she just smiled at him.

'Thank you.' Ziva said.

Tony followed her gaze to the car where Nathan could be seen through the glass with an expression of enjoyment as he focused his fascination on his train.

'You made him very happy.' Ziva said to Tony and tenderly kissed his cheek, before she moved around the car and walked to occupy the passenger seat.

Tony stood there, transfixed for a moment, as he once again tried to convince himself he wasn't getting attached.

* * *

**_Author's Notes: I do know some Hebrew, such as "morning", for example. I thought it would be less confusing to my readers if I didn't stick to underlining all of the Hebrew, with the exception of "Shalom". I hope you liked this chapter because it's one of my favourite. Please review and let me know what you thought of this chapter and any other comments you'd like to share!_**

**_-Mel_**

P.S: TIVA fans, there will be more tivaness next chapter! I'm also working on the Nathan/Tony bond/friendship :) A happy Nathan = happy Ziva = calm Tony = TIVA!


	9. Staying Another Night

**Author's Notes:** Thank you to my reviewers, love you all! I'm happy that y'all liked the family-ness in last chapter! The TIVA-ness will be taking off soon enough, but still got a while to go - there are lots of pre-relationship stuff until then! And you'll see how hooked Tony has become next chapter, though slightly in this one as well.

As I mentioned, I have been going over this story and updating my writing style. Mostly, I add and expand moments or modify dialogue where needed, but ultimately I am not changing much. However, this chapter is an exception. I have altered the name of Nathan's teddy bear from "Toby" to "Koba". Reasons for this will be explained much later on in the story.

* * *

Tony helped Ziva carry the shopping and grocery bags inside, even when she'd insisted she was capable of doing it herself, and turned to go back to his car. Gibbs hadn't been very specific about how long Tony was supposed to watch over Ziva and Nathan, but he assumed it was mostly for the first night. He had done that, and now Tony had no reason to stay.

Or so he'd thought.

The moment he opened the driver's door of his car in preparation to leave, a yell from Nathan made him stop and turn around. He was "attacked" by the boy running to him, even leaving his special train behind, to wrap his arms around Tony's middle tightly. Nathan looked up at him with sad eyes, while Ziva approached them.

'Why are you leaving?' The seven-year-old asked.

'I am sure Tony wants to have a shower and sleep in his own home, Nathan.' Ziva said, unaware it was far from what Tony really wanted.

'It that true?' Nathan stared at Tony.

'Yeah.' He lied.

Tony felt it wasn't his place to stay. This was Ziva and Nathan's life, their home, and where they belonged. It wasn't his.

'But...' Nathan sniffed and his lower lip began to tremble. He did not let Tony go. 'We have a shower!' He tried to persuade him. 'You can have our bed.'

'He cannot have our bed.' Ziva frowned, stepping forward to place a hand on her son's shoulder. 'Nathan, you will see Tony again soon.'

'Please don't leave.' Nathan said to Tony, ignoring his mother. 'Please!' The boy begged and buried his tearful face against Tony's shirt.

Never in Tony's life had he ever felt so wanted or needed, and it broke his heart to see Nathan like this. The young boy who wasn't even his son, and had known him for a mere few days, was tearfully begging him not to leave. Tony placed a hand on Nathan's back to comfort him and looked up at Ziva. She only shrugged lightly, her eyes on his as she spoke.

'It is your choice.' She said. Secretly, Ziva hoped Tony would stay, and not just for Nathan's sake.

'Nathan.' Tony crouched in front of the boy so he was eye-level with him. The child released him and wiped his face with his sleeve, looking utterly miserable. 'I will stay.'

Nathan grinned and flung his arms around Tony's neck to hug him, and only stopped when he spoke again. The boy gave Tony his entire attention.

'But...' Tony continued. 'I need to get some clean clothes from my place or your mother will complain that I smell.' He partially joked, which encouraged a smile from Nathan.

'True.' Ziva replied.

'Can I come with you?' Nathan asked. 'I want to make sure you come back.' He shrugged.

Tony looked at Ziva, since it wasn't really his choice. She sighed and shrugged her shoulders again.

'We will take your train upstairs first, then we will go.' Ziva informed Nathan, who ran to get his train. 'I am sorry.' She said to Tony.

'It's no problem.' Tony told her. 'Really, I don't mind.'

* * *

Nathan and Ziva waited outside the building, beside the car, while Tony went up to his apartment to pack a bag of clothes.

Afterwards, he drove into town after they'd agreed to his suggestion of getting a pizza and renting some movies to watch. Ziva only allowed because Nathan was excited by the idea, thinking it was almost a "party" of some sort.

Ziva leaned against the corner of a small video store not far from where she lived, watching as Tony and Nathan picked out their movies. She didn't know about movies in the way Tony did, and trusted him to pick appropriate ones for her son, so Ziva really didn't care which ones they got.

As she carefully watched them looking at the covers and comparing their options, Ziva felt a bit strange. This was how she had imagined a family would look like; the sort of family she wanted to have. She heard Nathan's wonderful laughter again, and was surprised it was Tony who made her son laugh more than anyone.

'You have a very nice family.' The woman at the counter said when she looked up to see Ziva watching the boys, who were joking about which movie to get. Tony held up two and was saying something they couldn't quite hear, but Nathan was hysterical with laughter and insisting that he was being silly because his mother wouldn't want to see those movies.

Ziva glanced over her shoulder at the lady and didn't bother to correct the onlooker this time. For the twenty minutes they were in the store, Ziva just wanted to pretend Tony was indeed a part of their family.

* * *

Once they returned to Ziva's place, they settled in front of the TV and ate their pizza.

When the first movie ended, Nathan had wandered to the kitchen in search of more food, which caught Ziva's immediate attention.

'What did they feed you?' Ziva risked asking her son, knowing she never had to say "the kidnappers" for everyone to understand who she was referring to.

Tony looked over the counter to hear Nathan's answer as well, as he too was concerned about the boy's well-being.

'Bread rolls and fruit. Stuff like that.' Nathan shrugged and grabbed a packet of chips from the pantry before he settled himself on the couch between Tony and Ziva again.

While Tony and Nathan negotiated on watching a slightly scarier movie that Nathan wanted to see (The Haunted Mansion), Ziva did her best to control her anger towards the people who had barely fed her boy. Her lists of reasons to kill them constantly increased, and she did not like it.

'Is it scary?' Nathan winced, as he wasn't as convinced anymore than he wanted to see the movie he'd picked.

'I honestly don't know.' Tony shrugged. 'Never seen it.'

'I know something that may help.' Ziva rose from the couch and disappeared for a moment. When she returned, Nathan jumped up from the couch and startled Tony.

'You kept him!' Nathan squealed with joy and took the bear from Ziva to hug it tightly.

'You never did name him.' Ziva replied.

The special bear had been the only thing of Nathan's she could hold onto from the day he'd been taken. It was the same one she'd just given to him before he was stolen from her arms. He'd dropped it that day, and she'd kept it in good condition for his return.

'Koba.' Nathan smiled. 'His name is Koba Bear. I thought of it ages ago.' He grinned and went to show Tony his bear, and share the story with him.

Ziva smiled at the boys and moved to seat herself on the couch. She loved Tony even more when she saw how good he was with her son, and Nathan clearly liked him as well.

'This is going to be scary.' Nathan said.

He was anxious and excited, as he hugged his bear close and stared expectantly at the TV screen. He was cuddled next to Ziva, but had to reach and tug Tony's shirt to bring him closer until the boy was snug between them both as the movie started.

Tony was uncomfortable and squirmed, until he could only place his arm draped over Ziva's shoulders as they watched the movie. Ziva felt his movement, but his eyes were fixated on the screen so she knew he was only trying to get comfortable. Even so, she could not help leaning back so her neck was touching his arm.

Nathan hardly moved his head as he glanced at his mother and saw Tony's arm over her shoulders. A small smile crept across his lips as he hugged Koba bear closer.

* * *

It was getting rather late by the end of their third movie.

Ziva had taken her shower right after Nathan's bath, and now they were sitting on her bed to wait for Tony, who was finishing his shower.

Tony moved the white towel Ziva had lent him through his hair and yawned. He gathered his things and was about to enter Ziva's room when he paused. The bedroom door was partially open and the pair inside were talking, but it was something in Nathan's tone that made Tony stop to listen.

'Mama?' Nathan asked as he shifted closer to her, where they sat cross-legged on the covers. 'Can...Can Tony be my daddy? My papa?'

Tony was glad they didn't appear to know he was standing just outside the room, because there was no way he'd have been able to react or express the shock he felt to hearing Nathan's words. At the same time, he was honoured that Ziva's son thought so highly of him. Though Nathan's question had startled him, it was Ziva's reply that made Tony feel as though his heart had stopped.

'I would like that, Nathan.' Ziva smiled as she combed her hand through his hair. 'But Tony has his own life, and he is just a friend.' She said sympathetically.

It was also because explaining rule 12 to Nathan would be hard. And she was afraid that while Tony was enjoying the time he spent with them now, such as all weekend, she feared he would soon tire or get bored of them being around all the time.

'It is complicated.' She added to her son.

Tony slowly counted to three, waiting for his mind to straighten out before he casually entered the bedroom. He was in disbelief to notice Ziva seemed to have forgotten they had been waiting on him, or that he'd even been there, when usually she instantly knew when he was eavesdropping. Tony realised that when she was with Nathan, the world around her did not exist. It was the opposite of her Mossad training and general self. It felt as though, for the first time, Tony was finally seeing all of the real Ziva. The one behind her bodily threats and blank expressions; he was seeing the woman behind the warrior.

And it only made him fall in love with her even more.

When Tony walked into the room, Ziva and Nathan climbed under the covers of the bed to wait for him to join them. They hadn't even discussed it, as one look from Nathan at the mention of "bedtime" told the adults he would want Tony with them once again.

Ziva had her gun under her pillow as she always did, but moved it away from Nathan as she felt him cuddle up to her with Koba held under his arm. Nathan then reached over and grabbed Tony's hand to place it onto his chest so it was easier to hold.

Nathan thought for a moment about what his mother had said about her and Tony only being friends, and how it was one of the reasons he could not be his papa. Nathan smiled as lay on his back and reached for his mother's hand to place it over Tony's. Now Nathan's hand was on his own chest, with Tony's over his, and Ziva's over Tony's hand.

'Goodnight.' Nathan said with a smile, closing his eyes while gripping his bear with his free hand.

Tony and Ziva stared at their connected hands and looked at each other, before they turned away and tried to get some sleep. Ziva squeezed her hand slightly and felt Tony shifting closer. Normally he slept right near the edge of the bed to give them their space, but now they were like they'd been on the couch: close and warm.

It only took them minutes to fall asleep, each looking the very picture of a loving family.

* * *

_**Author's Notes: Please review and let me know what you thought of this chapter. I love hearing your comments and it's very motivating.**_

_**-Mel**_


	10. Too Attached

**Author's Notes:** Wowie! Like 6 reviews in one or two days! Thank-you!! Thanks **tivalover** I'm happy to hear that you can imagine this happening and that you adore Nathan. Thanks **M E Woffird** glad you liked the budding relationship between the boys and Ziva's admittance. Thanks **Nikki Taylor05** for your reviews. Glad you liked the story. Thanks to my two **Anonymous** reviewers, I'm happy to hear that you like the humor, the slow progression of feelings and relationships between the characters. Always happy to get reviews, even if i dunno who you are. And of course, thanks to **Immirose**!! I know you were prob busy, was just missing you! Thanks for the reviewing. I'm happy to hear that you love Nathan, I do too. And that you're sticking with this fic, no matter how long...Made me very happy about that!

So yeah, thanks everyone and as direct reponse to my awesome reviewers, here is the next chapter!!**

* * *

Chapter Ten: Too attached**

However long he slept for, Tony did not know. Ziva's snoring woke him once and then he woke up a second time as he felt Nathan move against him slightly in his sleep. But when the sun was finally bright enough to be considered morning, he got out of bed but was surprised to find Ziva wasn't there.

'Ziva?' he whispered, looking for her and found her in the bathroom brushing her teeth.

'Mmhm?' she mumbled, her toothbrush sticking out of her mouth as she turned to him, surprised that he was awake and hoped that there wasn't a reason for it.

Tony smirked at her early-morning state with her messy hair and ruffled nightgown. 'Just wondered where you were' he shrugged.

'Nnhm' Ziva mumbled again while nodding and resumed brushing her teeth and then spat in the sink. 'Why are you up?' she asked him. 'It is almost 5am'

'It is?' he groaned and ran a hand through his hair. 'I'm going to make breakfast' he decided, feeling he should contribute somehow as he was staying there and Ziva had been doing most of the work.

'Tony…'

'Just try and stop me' he challenged and she shrugged, not in the mood as she had woken from another nightmare and had other things on her mind. Gibbs had called last night to inform her that she had to be at NCIS by 9am to discus several matters and meet with people so she was getting ready for that and trying to anticipate what was going to happen. But then there was the fact that Nathan could not come, that she would have to part from him…even for a few hours, and it scared her.

--

Tony headed back to the bedroom and changed into some pants and a black shirt before heading down the stairs to cook some scrambled eggs. As he worked in the kitchen, his thought went back to the night before and a part of him wished that he could be a part of their family. It would be nice to have it all: a home, with his wife and child. He had to admit, Nathan was really growing on him and while the boy was clearly becoming attached, Tony feared that he was as well. And then there was Ziva, she was positively glowing when she heard her son laughing and enjoying himself. She let her guard down around her son, which probably wasn't a good thing considering their situation but then again, she wasn't very much like that when they went shopping so maybe it was just while they were at home? And last night…it just made him feel worst. That he and Ziva were on the verge of best friends and there was so much tension between them but it could not be explored or taken further. His insecurity to if she really felt the same way about him as he was realizing that he did for her, rule 12 and the stability of Nathan really put a damper on the moments that he wondered if they could be more.

While Tony was finishing breakfast and Ziva was busy putting on a pair of white, dangling earrings, Nathan rolled over but nothing stopped him from rolling completely over. He frowned and woke up, noticing that he was alone in his bed. He bolted upright but heard his mother's humming from the bathroom…and nothing else.

'Tony?' he realized and was afraid that he had left while he had been sleeping. Nathan panicked and jumped right over the side of the bed, making his feet hit the floor loudly and Ziva froze to the sound. She peaked out of the bathroom long enough to see Nathan running right past and down the stairs.

'Nathan?' she asked worriedly and followed him.

'Tony!' Nathan called out and ran right to him, hugging him roughly as he practically crashed into him.

'Oof' Tony winced as Nathan collided with him and held him tightly around the middle. He was lucky too because he had just put the last plate of eggs on the table.

'I thought you had left' Nathan looked up at him.

'Nah, just giving your mom a break with breakfast' Tony smiled and ruffled Nathan's hair before looking up to see Ziva's expression but she was staring at Nathan, looking concerned.

'Can I sit on the couch while I eat?' Nathan then asked his mother.

'Get dressed first, then you may eat where ever you like' she replied and watched him run up the stairs before approaching Tony. 'I have a meeting at NCIS before 9am, I am trusting you with the most precious thing I have' she glanced towards the stairs. 'I do not want to regret this'

'We'll be fine' Tony assured her. 'No one is going to touch him while I'm here' he nodded; his own protectiveness of Nathan started to show through.

--

While Nathan ate his breakfast in front of the TV, Tony and Ziva sat at the table and ate the scrambled eggs Tony had made. Ziva smiled at Nathan as TV was something he had never experienced before. She only actually got that TV about a month ago (of course, along with a DVD player) to shut Tony up as he constantly mentioned that she should have a TV. It had never even been turned on (okay, except maybe once or twice) until Nathan was returned to her.

'He has been through so much' she said, turning back to Tony, seeing that he had been watching Nathan as well.

'He's a brave kid, gets that from you' Tony said.

'You did not know his father, you cannot be sure' Ziva replied. 'But I fear he is becoming very attached to you' she sighed. 'No fault of yours' she added. 'Gibbs however…' she frowned slightly before continuing. 'Nathan appears to be doing very well, but I know he has a lot of recovering…is that the word?' Ziva frowned and Tony nodded. 'Yes, recovering…but I fear you will not be able to leave until he does' Ziva lowered her gaze. 'For that, I am sorry'

'It's not your fault' Tony shrugged. 'And honestly, I don't mind' he said and see looked at him in surprise. 'He's a cool kid, I'm happy to stay'

Ziva nodded and thanked him. While she was thankful she was also a bit disappointed, only slightly wishing that he wanted to stay for her as well as Nathan.

* * *

Nathan frowned as he could hardly hear the TV now and turned around, sitting up on his knees to watching the kitchen scene in amusement.

'I can wash dishes myself' Ziva was frowning loudly.

'Come on, let me do something' Tony argued back. 'I feel unappreciative and useless here'

'This is my house!' Ziva scowled, hating that he was trying to help her with everything. 'You are my guest so shut up and let me wash my own dishes!' she hissed angrily and he backed down.

'Get a room!' Nathan called out and they both froze, turning to stare at him.

'Did he just tell us to get a room?' Tony frowned, utterly shocked and confused by his own two ears as Ziva approached her son.

'What did you say?' she asked.

'Uh, that's what that guy said' Nathan pointed to the TV. 'Sally's parents were fighting and he told them to get a room…why do they need a room?'

'Okay, TV is going off' Ziva said as she did not want her son to find the answer to his question. 'And it stays off' she added when he groaned. She looked down at her watch and saw it was already after 8am. 'I have to go' she said to Tony.

'I'll wash up' he offered with a smirk.

'Go?' Nathan jumped off the couch. 'Mama, where are you going?' he panicked.

'I have to talk to my friends at NCIS for a while; there are some people that are coming to meet me. It is very important but I will only be gone for a few hours' Ziva explained calmly. 'Tony will be right here with you'

'Yeah, we'll have lots of fun. You won't even know she's gone' Tony jumped in with an enthusiastic grin but Nathan hadn't seemed to have heard him.

'Take me with you' Nathan begged, grabbing Ziva's arm.

'I cannot' she replied. Ziva did not want him to make it harder for her than it already was. She was scared to leave her son here with only one protector as she goes to her unavoidable meeting with Gibbs and several other agency officials, including her father. 'I do not think I can do this' Ziva then whispered to Tony.

'Nathan will be fine' Tony insisted, not sure if he liked the idea either but what choice did they have?'

'I am going to need my arm' she said, looking down at her son. 'Please Nathan, I promise you that you will be fine'

Nathan sniffed and looked up at Tony, needing more assurance.

'Hey' Tony said, crouching in front of him, he hating seeing tears in Nathan's eyes as his eyes were so alike Ziva's. 'I am not going anywhere, okay? I won't even leave your side. By the time your mom gets back, you'll be sick of me' he said, adding some humor in hope of lightening the mood and it did, bringing a small smile to Nathan's face.

'You promise?' Nathan looked up at Ziva, letting her arm go as he hugged her.

'Yes' Ziva hugged him back and kissed atop his head. 'I will be back in a few hours, I promise'

'Okay' Nathan sniffed and let her go.

Ziva turned before she could change her mind and left while Nathan walked backwards until he could feel Tony behind him, needing the comfort and security as he departed from his mother and it brought back those painful memories.

Tony wasn't good with words and he did not know how to comfort upset children or people in general, but Nathan had touched his heart in the same depth that Ziva had and he wanted to help Nathan feel better so he did what he had seen Ziva do when he was this upset.

'Nathan' Tony said and he turned to look at him.

'Don't worry, she'll be back' he said and placed a hand on Nathan's shoulder before realizing it wasn't enough and picked him up so he could hug his tears away. It was like some sort of weird instincts inside him had shown up whenever he saw Nathan or Ziva upset. Nathan started crying whole-heartily as he wrapped his arms around Tony's neck and buried his face in his shoulder. Feeling secure that Tony wasn't going anywhere but at the same time it hurt to watch his mother leave.

'It's okay tough guy, cry it out' Tony rubbed Nathan's back, hoping that what he was doing was enough.

* * *

**Author's Notes: And there is chapter 10! Please let me know what you think, and you know how it goes: the more/longer reviews I get the faster I update cuz it's motivating and makes me happy.**

**-Mel**


	11. A Day With Tony

**Author's Notes:** Gosh! 7 reviews overnight...I am one very proud and happy writer!!! Thanks so much to everyone! **losingmymind2, M E Wofford, Tivalover, bomber6, Immirose** and my two **anonymous** reviewers. All your comments about Tony and Nathan made me smile, thanks. It's good to know what my readers like and enjoy as it helps. Also I know a few of you are hanging out for some more Tiva, and physical contact...which was weird timing cuz there is somecoming very soon. I ensure you all...major Tiva is approaching and their tension/attraction is increasing. But I am still establishing things with Tony/Nathan so yeah...had to give them a share of the attention. Anyhow, this chapter is very based around that. Enough from me, Enjoy!!

Also, I do not own any movies you may or may not recognize in this fic.**

* * *

**

**Chapter eleven: A day with Tony**

Nathan cried for several minutes until he finally sniffled and calmed down. Tony put him down and saw that he was still sad.

'Hey, how about you help me wash up and then we'll watch a movie?' he offered.

'We watched all our movies' Nathan remembered, looking over at their rental movie pile on the coffee table.

'Not the ones I brought' Tony winked. 'Come on' he said and Nathan grabbed a chair to reach better. 'I wash, you dry?' he offered and Nathan nodded.

--

'What is the movie called?' Nathan wondered as he followed Tony up to the bedroom where his bag was, he simply refused to leave his side and was gripping his shirt as well.

'Brother Bear' Tony replied. 'It's animation'

'What's that?' Nathan asked.

'Made by computer or drawings' Tony said and knew it didn't sound like much to Nathan but he'd like it once he saw it. 'I have the second one too, just in case' he added and they went back downstairs. Tony had grabbed them on his way out from his apartment the day before when he had packed his bag. He didn't know what Nathan would like but since he'd never really seen movies before then Tony felt he had to start him off with some more "family" movies without very high ratings. He hadn't mentioned it before because it only occurred to him the shame he would feel if anyone even found out that he owned these types of movies.

'This was made by computer?' Nathan was surprised as the movie started. 'Abby said computers were good, but…cool'

Tony smiled as Nathan settled comfortably with Toby bear and watched the movie, forgetting all about his mother not being there.

* * *

After the first movie, Tony got up to make them some sandwiches for lunch and decided that they would eat them on the couch and then watched the second movie.

'I liked that movie' Nathan said as he bit into his sandwich. 'The animal with the horns were funny'

'The Moose' Tony said but didn't correct him on the "horns" part. 'Yeah, Rutt and Tuke were pretty good' he nodded.

Nathan continued to eat in silence but then looked up at Tony. 'What if you and mama can't protect me?' he asked, his voice sounding small and forced.

'That will never happen' Tony replied confidently, how someone was able to take Ziva's son away from her to begin with was still lost on him, knowing how trained and scary she was. He couldn't even take her stapler without almost being killed.

'But what if it does?' Nathan continued.

'It won't' Tony said. 'Zi-your mom and I are best friends and I'm a bit scared of her, no one messes with your mom. What happened five years ago is different to now. No one is taking you away, no one is even going to touch you' Tony said. 'Now eat up, we've got another movie to watch'

Nathan ate the last of his sandwich quickly as he was looking forward to the second movie.

* * *

The credits had hardly started when both boys looked over alertly at the door as it unlocked and Ziva came back inside with a bag.

'Mama!' Nathan yelled and ran over to her, almost knocking her backwards as he threw his arms around her.

Tony watched the pair and could really see the bond they had. He had never been able to really imagine Ziva as a mother, maybe a few times when he wondered but as he watched Ziva hugging Nathan upon her return, he could see it very clearly. Ziva made a great mother; she cared so much for Nathan and took good care of him. It was strange to see Ziva so caring and warm because of the Mossad front she put up at work and it put her in a whole new light. It actually made Tony feel better, not less calm around her because making her mad would switch her from caring to scary in seconds, but it meant that she wasn't just letting her real self show around Nathan but she let it show around him too. After four years of partnership, friendship, paperclip threats and other tendencies, Ziva was finally letting him in. Not enough for him to get his hopes up, but enough that he realized how truly unique she was and it made him want her even more.

'Shalom, my love' Ziva kissed Nathan's cheek. 'Did you boys behave yourselves?' she asked.

'Yeah, we watched brother bear one and two!' Nathan grinned.

'I do not know what that is' Ziva replied. 'A movie?'

'You would be correct, Zee-vah' Tony smirked and she cast him a glare before turning back to Nathan.

'Are you hungry?'

'No, Tony made lunch' Nathan replied as she straightened up.

'Did you touch anything you were not supposed to?' Ziva asked, but mainly to Tony as she knew him too well and she was aware that he had snooped around his first night here.

'No' Nathan replied and Ziva raised an eyebrow.

'Would you tell me if you did?' Ziva then asked and Nathan grinned.

'No' he replied again and tried to hold back a laugh.

Ziva nodded proudly and took off her jacket and headed into the kitchen to check supplies as it was now getting closer to dinner time. Nathan had missed her and would not leave her alone. He grabbed her arm and dragged her over to the living room to show her the DVD cases and tell her all about the movies and what he and Tony had done all day.

Tony smiled as he watched them and decided to cook dinner for them since Ziva was going to be busy and he wanted to see if Ziva liked his cooking as much as he liked hers, they both enjoyed spending time in the kitchen…something he noticed they had in common.

'Tony' Ziva finally noticed what he was doing. 'You made breakfast; I am not having you-'

'There's a new Italian recipe I want to try out' Tony lied, knowing she hated it when he tried to help or did something for her. 'Besides, Nathan has so much to tell you'

Ziva's eyes narrowed at him but Tony had turned his back to her again. While she thought many choice words about his constant helping, she looked at her son to see he indeed was not done with his story. But she was not done with Tony.

'You do not have to help me with everything' she reasoned but he continued working and ignored her. 'I am very capable of cooking dinner myself'

'I know' he shrugged. 'I'm not doing this because you can't or because you need help, I have seen you take out some pretty nasty bad guys without a weapon…I'm doing this because I want to'

Ziva frowned at him but Nathan's tugging on her shirt was annoying so she turned her attention back to her son and let Tony make dinner.

* * *

'What would you give it out of ten?' Tony asked Nathan as they ate their dinner.

'Eight' Nathan nodded after some thinking. 'Mama's is still better' he added and Ziva grinned broadly at Tony. 'What did you do today, mama?' Nathan then wondered.

'Well…' Ziva thought for a moment. 'I went to NCIS and spoke with Gibbs. There were some other people there and we were mostly just talking' she shrugged and took another bite of her food while Tony watched her, knowing there was more to the meeting than that.

'Sounds boring' Nathan shrugged.

'Oh, yes' Ziva nodded with a smile.

--

While Ziva headed upstairs to give Nathan his bath, Tony wasn't sure what to do so he washed up and then sat in front of the TV for a while.

Ziva had bought some books on her way home and had given them to Nathan to read while he sat on their bed, not quite ready to sleep yet. She said she was getting ready for bed but actually went downstairs to talk to Tony, scowling dangerously as she noticed the washing up was done.

'I was bored!' he added quickly as she rounded on him. After he was sure she was just sitting on the couch next to him, Tony spoke again. 'How was today, really?'

'Bad' Ziva sighed. 'My father was not happy. The FBI told me to take leave, Gibbs of course defended me' she frowned. 'Just because I have a child does not mean I cannot do my job'

'And…?' Tony asked, wondering if they had convinced her to take leave but doubted it.

'It was my choice' she shrugged. 'I said no' Ziva then glanced at him. 'Thank you for watching Nathan, he seemed to enjoy it'

'It was a bit rough at first' Tony admitted. 'What is he doing now?' he then wondered, noticing that Nathan was still upstairs and did not think he could sleep without someone in the room with him.

'Reading' Ziva replied. 'Whoever kidnapped him had made sure he could read, speak English and Hebrew…they kept him alive for five years, I do not know why' she frowned and stood up. 'I am going to have a shower, could you stay with Nathan?'

Tony nodded and watched her headed back upstairs before doing the same.

--

'Hey, Nathan' Tony poked his head into the bedroom and the boy looked up at him in interest. He was sitting cross-legged on the bed in his blue pajamas that had little skateboards printed on them. There was a pile of books around him but he cleaned them up once Tony sat on the bed.

'Tony, how long have you and mama been friends?' he wondered.

'About fours years' Tony replied, wondering what brought on this conversation.

'If she got hurt, would you save her?' Nathan asked.

'Of course, but it is very hard to hurt her' Tony said, now getting a little worried.

'What is someone made her cry?' Nathan continued with the strange questions.

'Do you know anyone that would make her cry?' Tony redirected the question at him.

Nathan said nothing as he grabbed Toby bear from the end of the bed and crawled under the covers to wait for his mother to come back.

--

'Your turn, Tony' Ziva said as she walked into the room. As Tony walked past he grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the room, lowering his voice.

'Nathan was asking what would happen if someone hurt you or made you cry' He said, feeling that she should know.

'I would shoot them before that happened' Ziva replied simply but understood his concern. 'I will talk to him' she said and went back into the room while Tony headed to the bathroom for a shower.

He had taken a little bit longer than usual because his hair was starting to get icky and he had to wash it. But as he walked into the bedroom he saw that Nathan had fallen asleep with his mother, both of them were asleep and he did not want to disturb them. Tony wanted to climb into bed with them as he always felt so wanted and warm when he felt in the bed with them but not tonight, they had a rough day and he wasn't going to wake them while they were having a nightmare-free sleep.

Tony sighed as he lay on the couch with some spare blankets and a pillow. He stared at the dark ceiling and felt disappointed as his stay with Ziva and Nathan could not remain forever. He was their friend, not part of their family. And tomorrow…well, tomorrow they had to go back to NCIS and then things were bound to change.

* * *

**Author's Notes: There y'all go...please review and let me know whatcha think. you know the drill, the more/longer reviews the faster I update :)**


	12. Back At Work

**Author's Notes:** Yay 6 reviews in one day, I did owe y'all the update but wasn't able to as I'm getting ready for my little sister's 10th b'day...sorry, but here's the next chapter now! It's a bit longer too :). Thanks to my reviewers **M E Wofford, Tivalover, ImmIrose, Nikki taylor05, bomber6 **and my **anonymous** reviewer. I'm thrilled with the responses involving tony and nathan's day and everything else was great but what I found utterly intriguing was how several of you seemed to think the changes in this chapter were going to be bad! Haha, I gave no inplication to the changes being good or bad, only that Tony wasn't looking forward to it. Hehehe, those replies amused me greatly and I just have to udpate asap! Here is the next chapter, hope y'all enjoy and please review!!

**Note:** Sorry about the crazy breaks in the middle, didn't know how else to seperate short scenes and flashbacks within a scene...hope it wasn't annoying or whatever, but there was no other way I could do it.**

* * *

Chapter twelve: Back at work**

It was almost 6:30am and already there was drama at Ziva's place. She was getting ready for work while Tony and Nathan were stressing in the other room. Ziva sighed and did not know what she was going to do about the situation.

'Please!' Nathan begged as he pulled on Tony's wrist. 'Please don't leave; we can go to NCIS together!'

'I have to wear my work clothes, they're at my apartment' Tony reasoned and was now mad at Ziva for not helping him out here.

'We can go to your place on the way!' Nathan continued and now that Ziva was ready, she decided to help Tony out a little.

'If you do not want Tony to leave then you better get dressed or he will have to leave because we will be late' she said simply and Nathan bolted up the stairs to get dressed.

'Better late than never' Tony frowned at her.

'Why did you sleep on the couch?' Ziva wondered; having woken up to find he was not there and the bed had felt a lot colder than she remembered. She had liked waking up to have both of her boys beside her; no, correction: Tony is not hers.

'You were both asleep, I didn't want to wake you' Tony shrugged but then Nathan reappeared and he groaned. 'Fine, we'll stop by my apartment so I can get ready' he gave in.

* * *

So after making a stop by Tony's place so he could get dressed and prepared for work, they ended up arriving rather late and Tony was complaining that Gibbs was going to kill them. Ziva sighed as they headed into the building, it felt like any other day at work and as though their weekend together had almost not happened.

Tony was talking to someone on the way to the office so they arrived several minutes apart from each other. Gibbs understood Ziva was likely to be late and she didn't even have to come to work today, but Tony showed up late and he was not in the mood to be short on men while they had kidnappers to find.

'DiNozzo!' he said loudly when he spotted him. He walked up to him and head slapped him for being late, but Nathan had seen it and was shocked.

'Nathan!' Ziva grabbed him only just in time as he tried to run at Gibbs angrily.

'He hit Tony!' Nathan growled, surprising both men.

Ziva sighed and explained to Nathan why Gibbs head slapped people while Tony informed Gibbs that he had been with them all weekend as "_extra protection_" and Nathan simply wouldn't let him leave and that is why he was late.

Gibbs nodded but hid his surprise as to the fact Tony had stayed all weekend with Ziva and that she had let him. Judging by Nathan's outburst, Gibbs was almost amused to see that he was so attached to Tony. The man that often claimed to have a way with kids but they had never really seen much evidence of it being true, until now; unless it was with Nathan in particular? Was it because he was Ziva's son?

Once Gibbs headed out of the office, Ziva hurried to catch up to him.

'Can I help you, Officer David?' Gibbs asked as she stood there and said nothing.

'I fear that Nathan is becoming too attached to Tony' she stated. 'Why did you have to send him home with us?' Ziva then accused him, needing someone to blame it on.

'Well it was either Tony or McGee' Gibbs smirked. 'Take your pick'

'I see your point, but Tony cannot live with us forever and I do not know what it will do to Nathan' she frowned. 'He will not let him leave'

'It is probably a good thing, Ziva' Gibbs replied.

'How?' Ziva asked, noting seeing how her son being attached to her co-worker was supposed to be a good thing.

'You'll figure it out' Gibbs nodded and walked away, leaving Ziva standing there annoyed and confused.

* * *

The team was busy with paperwork all day while Gibbs was still sorting out a few matters in MTAC and with the Director. He was not in a good mood but coffee kept him on his feet.

He walked into the office around lunch time and saw that Nathan was sitting on a chair beside Ziva and they both appeared to be working. He walked closer and saw that Nathan had headphones on and in front of him were three books. One was in English and had separate lines of sentences that were all about something different and on another page were several basic mathematical calculations. The second book wasn't English at all and Gibbs suspected it was Hebrew. The third book was also Hebrew but was printed and wasn't a writing book.

Nathan concentrated hard on his English book while Gibbs gave Ziva a questioning look.

'He is being homeschooled' Ziva said, proud that she had gotten the phrase right.

'Here?' Gibbs asked. 'He needs a proper tutor, Ziva'

'He has one' Ziva looked at the headphones. 'His tutor records the lessons to tape and sends it over. He is just sitting here, Nathan is not disturbing anyone' she added. 'His kidnappers also made sure he could read, write and speak both Hebrew and English' she frowned and saw that Gibbs looked as confused as she felt.

'Mama' Nathan tugged her arm and showed her his work.

'Very good Nathan' she praised him as Gibbs went back to his desk.

'Can I go see Abby now?' Nathan asked.

'Yeah, come on…I'll take you' Gibbs got up at that offer because Ziva was not going to get her paperwork done otherwise. She had a lot more to do because of her torturing incident and withholding information.

* * *

'Hey you' Abby grinned when Nathan and Gibbs walked into the lab.

'Here' Nathan handed over a piece of paper with a sort of symbol and a weird cross. 'One of the bad people that took me had a tattoo' he explained.

'Oh, well thanks' Abby smiled and scanned it into her computer.

'You remember what they look like?' Gibbs asked and Nathan nodded.

'I want to help' Nathan said. 'I'm not scared' he said angrily. 'You have to get them and throw them in jail'

'He's a mini-Ziva' Abby smirked at Gibbs and he actually returned an amused look. 'There is a way you can help' she then thought. 'My computer is really smart, if you remember what they look like then we can create a picture so we know who to find'

'Your computer can do that?' Nathan sounded surprised and nodded, following Abby into the other room.

'Okay, when ever you're ready' Abby nodded.

'Um, there was Spike' Nathan said, knowing the codenames for each of his kidnappers.

--

'_Hey kid, you're awake' Spike said, looking down at him as they travelled in the van. 'You like corn?' he offered him some but Nathan would not take it. 'Too bad, you must be hungry' he shrugged but then shrieked as the van came to a sudden halt and he toppled over._

--

'Brown hair' he remembered. 'Green eyes' he added. 'Always had farm clothes on…is very stupid'

'Was he fat, skinny, tall, short?' Abby added.

'Skinny, not tall but not short' Nathan remembered. 'He had one earring on his…' he looked at his hands and worked out which side was right. 'Left ear'

'Wow, your memory is as good as your mom's too' Abby smirked.

* * *

'Bruce' Nathan said, frowning this time. 'He's big and mean'

--

'_Shut up, boy!' Bruce growled at him. 'Your mama's gone'_

--

'Tall, dark yellow hair' Nathan sighed. 'He fixes cars'

'That will help' Abby nodded as Gibbs watched Nathan, impressed to the boy's bravery to remember each person that had taken him away from his mother, kept him hostage and done whatever else he had been through.

'He is missing a tooth' Nathan smirked as he remembered kicking that tooth out when he was about six, he hated Bruce a lot and he was always the one to force him into the van. 'Top' he pointed to his own teeth to indicate.

* * *

'Kenney' Nathan said. 'Red hair…ugly black eyes' he told them. 'He's bossy'

--

'_We're moving again' Kenny announced. 'We've been here too long as it is'_

--

'He has a brother, they're always fighting' Nathan remembered. 'I think his name was Jack'

--

'_I hate this part!' Jack grunted as he copped a fist to the jaw from Nathan. 'Get in!'_

--

'So there are four?' Abby verified once Nathan said nothing else.

'Yes' Nathan lied and looked at the floor and said nothing else.

--

'_Get up!' a voice pulled him from his sleep. It was Eve, the blonde woman and the only female on the team that he knew of. While Kenny was a planner, Eve was clearly in charge as no one would mess with her. 'Nathan?' she tipped the empty plate and glass off a chair so she could sit on it backwards while staring at him. __'Can you understand me? I know you do not like to talk but if you know what I am saying, nod your head'__ she spoke in clear Hebrew._

_Nathan swallowed and nodded his head while inching further away from her._

'_Hey Eve, Kenny wants to talk to ya' Spike said as he stood in the open doorway._

'_Shut up!' Eve screamed at him, making Nathan jump and tremble. He was hardly four at the time. 'I'm busy, get out!' Eve growled harshly and then turned back to Nathan. 'Now if you do what you're told Nathan, we won't kill you' she said. _

'_I want mama'__ Nathan sniffed._

'_You can't speak Hebrew around the others, okay? You will be punished. But when it is just you and me, it's okay' she nodded and stood up, turning to leave. 'And you're never going back to your mama. You're mind now' she said coldly and left._

_While Nathan huddled up on the bed and sobbed, he heard Kenny and Jack arguing and soon there were the crashes and thumps of their violent fighting as Eve screamed at them to shut up while Bruce started complaining as well. The door creaked open and Spike stood there, leaning against the doorframe as he watched Nathan._

'_Hey kid, do you like apples?' he asked, holding out the fruit to him but Nathan said nothing as he buried his face in his knees.' Too bad' Spikes said. 'They're real juicy' he placed an apple on the chair and then left, locking the door again._

_Nathan glanced up and stared at the apple before lying on his side and faced away from the door as the fight continued outside his room. In his mind he thought of a story his mama once told him about a pretty girl named snow white so he could go back to sleep…_

--

'Nathan?' Abby asked again as he seemed to have zoned out and his eyes were tearing up. 'Are you okay?'

'I want my mama' Nathan looked up at Gibbs, wiping his eyes.

'Sure, I'll take you to her' Gibbs nodded.

* * *

It was a few hours later and Ziva was still finishing her paperwork so Nathan hung out with Tony, having fun playing some games on his computer with him. He had previously been sitting with McGee to get to know him a bit better but then went back to Tony as he liked him the most, besides his mama of course.

Ziva glanced up from her work for a moment and smiled at the bond that Tony and Nathan seemed to have formed in a short period of time. She finally finished her paperwork and got up, holding out her hand to Nathan. 'Come on, we should go get something to eat'

Nathan slid off Tony's lap and then turned to him with a smile. 'Thanks' he whispered and hugged him, wrapping his arms around his neck and cuddled him close. 'For being there' he explained and then grabbed his mother's hand and left with her.

Tony watched them leave and was touched by Nathan's actions and words. It was then that he decided that he wanted to be in their life. Tony wanted to stay around for them. He wanted to always sleep beside Ziva at night, to always make breakfast for them before heading out to work and to make sure that Nathan grew up happy and safe. He didn't know how he was going to do it and it was a huge risk, but he had never wanted something so badly. And it felt so right.

* * *

Back at home, Nathan had once again convinced Tony to stay but he didn't object at all. While Ziva was having her shower, Nathan wondered where Tony was and crept downstairs in search for him as he wanted to ask him something about movies. He paused halfway down the stairs as he saw Tony had his back to him and was talking on the phone to someone.

'Yeah Abs' Tony said. 'It's weird, but now it's kinda cool. I don't mind staying here and I actually like hanging out with Nathan, he's a good kid'

Nathan smiled as he heard that and listened to Tony saying how he doesn't mind if he never leaves. He continued to smile but then it turned to a frown and he ran back upstairs quietly.

'Hey' Ziva said as she came down the stairs while wiping her hair with a towel. Tony liked it when her hair was wet as she looked sexier. He smirked at her and gave her a seducing growl.

'Sometimes I wonder if you cannot help yourself' Ziva rolled her eyes, not admitting that his growl had made her shiver slightly.

'Sometimes I wonder that too' Tony said.

'Who was on the phone?' Ziva wondered.

'Abby' Tony replied. 'She was wondering why I am still here'

'And why are you still here?' Ziva asked while standing right in front of him, looking up at him with a curious, hopefully expression.

Tony swallowed hard and remembered the loving look she had given him the first night and felt more confident that his feelings for her could be returned. 'I…' he started to say but Ziva turned around to see Nathan standing at the bottom of the stairs, his eyes all red and tears slid down his face.

'Nathan?' she asked, rushing to him. 'What is wrong?'

He said nothing but ran back up the stairs.

'Ziva…' Tony started again, knowing this was bad timing but if he did not say it now he may never get out the courage again.

'No' Ziva said, forcing herself to only think of Nathan, no matter how desperately she wanted to hear what Tony had to say. 'Nathan comes before every thing and everyone' she said firmly. 'He is my son, nothing is more important'

'Mama' Nathan came back with Toby bear in his arms, something he had forgotten when he came down just before.

'What is it Nathan?' Ziva asked, not liking the tears in his eyes and the pained look he was giving her.

'I want to go home' he sniffed.

'You are home…' Ziva said, confused and Tony's heart skipped a beat.

'I want to go home' Nathan said again and rubbed his nose. 'To Israel'

* * *

**Author's Notes: Please review!! Will make me update sooner :) Whatcha think?**


	13. Israel Homeland

**Author's Notes:** Sorry everyone but it's my little sister's tenth birthday today and I'm uber crazy busy...so my notes are somewhat short and rushed, but I updated specifically today because it's **Immirose**'s b'day too and this update was sorta a pressie to her! Happy birthday!!! Thanks **Ziva4tony, M E wofford, Immirose** and my two **Anonymous** reviewers. Your reviewers were great and thanks for all the comments. The reason why Nathan wants to go to Israel is in this chapter. More hints for why he was abducted etc are throughout this fic, but some more major clues are coming soon. I was going to update the newest banenr as we're in phrase two of the fic but like I said...today is maga busy...will next update. Enjoy!!

**Chapter thirteen: Israel homeland**

It was about two days later and Tony felt crushed as he and the NCIS team stood at the airport to say goodbye to Ziva and Nathan. Ziva's friend Jed was also done with his mission and had decided to accompany them back to Israel.

'I'm really going to miss you' Abby said sadly to Nathan as they all waved. Nathan and Ziva had been quiet most of the ride and Gibbs knew why. Being at an airport was probably bringing back painful memories as Nathan had been abducted from an airport all those years ago. He also noticed how Ziva was very cautious and on edge the entire time.

'Bye Abby' Nathan said and gave her a quick hug, remembering how she loved to hug people. He turned to leave with Ziva in their private plane but then paused. He sniffed and turned back around to stare at Tony. He ran over and hugged Tony tightly but quickly and then ran back to his mother and practically dragged her into the plane.

As the small plane took off along the runway and flew into the air, Gibbs had a bad feeling about this as it was very strange that Nathan was so attached to Tony and then is begging to go home without him. Something wasn't right.

--

Only three hours after Ziva's departure, Tony was back at NCIS and he was furious at Gibbs, letting him know about it too.

'Israel isn't safe' he said, not understanding how Gibbs just let them go.

'Ziva has lived there her whole life' McGee shrugged. 'And Mossad is there' he then got a death glare from Tony and went quiet.

'It's crazy, boss. The kidnappers are still out there, Ziva would not leave without killing them' Tony continued to rant, needing to vent and Gibbs sat there, eyeing his agent suspiciously as he just listened and said nothing. 'Nathan is out only link, our only witness to the kidnappers. And you just let them go?' Tony said. 'It doesn't make sense boss, why?!' he asked, getting agitated by how Gibbs did nothing. 'Why did you let her resign?' he asked more calmly, staring right at his boss but Gibbs just shrugged and stood up. He smiled oddly and patted Tony's back before slowly heading out of the office while saying, 'Ziva didn't resign DiNozzo, she simply requested three weeks leave' he smirked.

'Oh' Tony went quiet and McGee tried not to laugh. 'So she'll back?' he grinned but hastily hid it as McGee watched him. 'I knew that' he lied and went to his desk quickly.

* * *

Ziva sat across from Nathan as they were in the plane and was getting worried. She watched him as he sat there in his jeans and dark blue shirt, reading some comic books that Tony had given him while listening to music Abby had given him through his headphones. He had been like this the entire trip and must have read each comic book at least three times.

They soon landed in Israel and Eli David was there to greet them as Ziva had informed him of their trip so they would have Mossad protection. She was not taking any chances.

'Ziva, greetings' Eli smiled and kissed each her cheeks before looking down at his grandson for the first time since he was a toddler. 'And you must be Nathan, of course' he said in English.

'This is my father, Director of Mossad…your grandfather' Ziva explained to Nathan.

Nathan looked at him and shook his hand, keen to impress. 'Shalom, good to meet you, sir' Nathan said, making Eli grin in delight. 'Mama, I'm hungry' he then said to her.

'He speaks two languages?' Eli noticed. 'Impressive'

'We will eat very soon' Ziva said to Nathan. 'Please help Jed with the luggage' she said, indicating a few meters away where Jed was arguing with some of the airport staff.

'Yes, mama' Nathan nodded and left while Ziva kept a eagle eye on him but two Mossad officers followed him and remained by his side so she turned to her father. 'Papa, Nathan is not going to join Mossad unless he truly wants to when he is older and we are not staying'

Eli frowned but merely nodded. 'I expected as much, Ziva. Very well'

* * *

Abby smiled and glanced at Ducky and then at McGee as the three of them sat in the squad room while Gibbs was in MTAC and watched Tony muttering and pacing. They were all finding humor in Tony's anxious behavior as it has been almost a week since Ziva and Nathan departed and he was worrying about them.

But what they didn't know was what was going through his mind. Even though he was muttering about "bears" and "nightmares" which did not make much sense to anyone, his mind was rather clear. He missed them and was worried that without him Ziva did not have the extra protection and she could lose her son again. Of course Mossad were guarding them like they would a mass-murdering terrorist but it still didn't feel right to him. He was her partner, they were supposed to back each other up and it was hard for him to do that when she was in another country. He was also wondering how Nathan was doing at bedtime, now in a new surrounding in the country that he was born in but also kidnapped from. Tony also knew Ziva did not like her father much and prayed he wasn't going to meddle in things. They had not heard from Ziva and it was making him more agitated.

But then there was the biggest thing. Tony had hated the first night back in his apartment. It was strange to be back in his own empty bed and wake up with the full blast of sunlight rather than a small ray of it breaking through a crack in green curtains. There was no one to make breakfast for except himself and he was free to order any take out he wanted without having to think about anyone's diet but his own. There was no taking turns with the shower at a specific time; he could have one whenever he wanted and no matter how late. He could now watch any TV program he wanted and whenever he wanted.

One would think that Tony regaining all his freedom was great but it wasn't because it meant he had no one to think of but himself, there was no one else in the house that needed his attention. Something he hadn't realized until the absence of Ziva and Nathan.

It was darker because unlike Ziva, he did not mind dullness first thing in the morning. It was quiet, still and he was almost afraid to make a sound so had taken to walking around in his socks rather than shoes. Tony's place was too quiet, too calm and dark but most of all; he missed the company…he was lonely.

'Anthony' Ducky's voice broke his musings and mutterings of insanity. Tony froze and looked over at him, wondering why he had interrupted him. Ducky smiled sympathetically and held out a phone. 'It has been a week dear boy, call them'

'No' Tony said, running a hand through his hair as he tried to imagine Ziva's reaction to that. 'That's crazy'

'Heh' Abby sniggered as "_crazy_" was what Tony had been all day.

* * *

Ziva smiled as Nathan stood nearby with a stray dog and was laughing loudly as he was being licked and jumped at. It was so refreshing to see Nathan having such a great time in their home country. Yes, she missed Tony and NCIS but it wasn't forever, so she too was enjoying herself.

'Mama, look!' Nathan pointed to the sky as a Mossad Military plane flew overhead. Yes, being back in Israel had been a wake up call for Ziva. Her focus and alertness had dropped since getting her son back but she was in reality now, she could never lose her focus on her son…not ever.

--

They continued to tour for several more hours until they decided it was time to get something to eat. It had been almost two weeks since leaving America and Ziva just let Nathan experience Israel and enjoy himself but now she'd decided that she had to get to the bottom of the situation. Nathan did not know that this was just a visit, he had wanted to stay here in Israel and she had to find out why.

'Do you like your lunch?_'_ Ziva asked causally and he nodded with a smile. 'Good. Nathan?' she caught his attention. 'I am curious, why is it you wanted to come home? Do you not like Tony anymore?' Ziva prayed it wasn't something to do with Tony. She did not want to be torn between the two because Nathan would come first, always.

Nathan was hesitant and avoided the topic at first but soon realized his mother wasn't giving up until she got answers.

'Israel is where we belong, Mama' he told her, putting his food down. 'Just because my father was American does not mean I have to be'

'That is true' Ziva nodded. 'But we can visit whenever we want to but you are not acting like this is a visit at all' Ziva watched him bow his head guiltily. 'Talk to me, my love. Why did you want to leave America?'

'Because of Tony' Nathan finally admitted. 'I was scared'

'Of Tony?' Ziva raised an eyebrow in surprise, she had trouble believing that.

'No' Nathan sighed. 'Mama, I am scared that Tony won't want to be my papa if I ask him' he sniffed, finally opening up to his mother. 'I did not want him to leave like my real papa did'

'Oh, Nathan' Ziva said and walked around the table to comfort him. 'You should have told me that' She then growled when her cell phone rang. 'Shalom?' she answered it while running a hand through Nathan's hair and smiling at him as he finished his food.

Ziva was surprised that it was Tony calling her. He was wondering how they were going and how Nathan felt about Israel. He then made some excuse about finding more movies that Nathan would like, unaware that Ziva could see right through it all. She was Mossad Officer and he had gotten used to her guard being down. She could sense a lie like this from him even just by hearing his voice. But Ziva was touched that he had called just to check up on than. Of course, they did not need checking up on and she will have a serious word to him about that but it was still…thoughtful and nice.

'Would you like to talk to Nathan?' Ziva asked, suspecting that both missed the other but had too much pride to admit it.

'Ah yeah…sure' Tony nodded.

'Nathan, would you like to talk to Tony?' Ziva held the phone to him and he grinned, grabbing it.

'Tony!' Nathan squealed happily.

'Hey tough guy, how's Israel treating you?' Tony asked; surprising himself how much he'd actually missed having Nathan around as much as Ziva.

'It's great! Mama let me sit in a jet!' he grinned. 'And grandpa showed me around Mossad and then Mama showed me how to throw a knife'

'Err, wow' Tony said enthusiastically. 'That sounds pretty awesome' he then yelped as Gibbs's hand made contact with his skull. 'Sorry Nathan, I gotta go…boss is mad at me'

'Oh, okay' Nathan nodded. 'Bye Tony' he said and hung up, looking a bit disappointed as he hadn't told him about the movie theatre yet.

Ziva watched her son and thought back to their previous conversation. 'Nathan? Do you want to leave Tony…forever?' she asked. 'And stay here in Israel?'

Nathan squirmed a little in his seat and then caved. 'No!' he said and flung his arms around her. 'I miss Tony! I don't wanna live here forever'

' Shhh' Ziva comforted him as he got upset and picked him up. 'Nathan, we can go back to American whenever you are ready, my love'

* * *

**_Author's Notes:_ Okay now that I read over this once again...it almost seems like a filler chapter or whatever they're called, but trust me...there is a somewhat big point as to why these events occured and what they will result in...plus Tony needed a little wake-up call as to how lonely he really was and the things his life was missing :) Anyhow, gotta go, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter and will review as I'll update asap. Happy Birthday Immirose!!**

**-Mel**

* * *


	14. Moment of Truth

**Author's Notes:** Sorry for the delay but things are still quite busy around here and will be for another week at the most but not to worrry. Also for those waiting for updates on any of my other fics, I will get around to it next week...just hard to update more than one while things are this bust at the moment.  
Thanks to my reviewers, **losingmymind2, tivalover, M E wofford, immirose, nikki taylor05** and my two **anonymous** reviewers. I wish I could personally thanks anf comment on each of your reviews but time is still somwhat short, sorry. But know that each one made me smile and thanks a lot! Also thanks Immirose, hope your b'day was great, my sister's was too. And you're all right about the last chapter, it was mostly for Tony to realize a few things, like whathe's missing and that Ziva and Nathan are more important to him than he knew.

This chapter is huge and I'm sure y'all love it a lot! Since the update was later than usual, I hope this makes up for it. Also the "phrase 2" banner for this fic is now in my profile so please check it out and let me know whatcha think because as of last chapter...we're entering phrase two of this fic. Enjoy and please reivew!!**

* * *

**

**Chapter fourteen: Moment of truth**

Regardless to her promise and Nathan's begging to go back to America right away, they did not leave Israel until the following morning as they could not just vanish. They boarded their private plane before dawn so Nathan was pretty tired and not used to waking up and travelling long distances before the sun was even up. Naturally, only after twenty minutes from take-off, Nathan had dozed off in his sleep.

Ziva smiled at her sleeping son and then turned back to her conversation with Jed as he once again specifically requested to accompany them back to America.

While his mother was in serious conversation in Hebrew nearby, Nathan frowned slightly and winced as a memory that he had been able to block out previously, invaded his nightmares…

--

_The memory was as clear to him as it had been when it happened about eight or nine months ago._

_Nathan had been moved to a new room the day before and they had one of their missions to complete. Normally he was not involved but this time he had been. Bruce had a hand gripped tightly on his shoulder, so tight it hurt and left a bruise for a few days. They walked through the crowds in Fairfax, Virginia and then around the side of a large building, heading towards an empty park. It was about six in the morning and no one was there yet. Nathan knew better than to try and run away on a mission because he'd done that once before when he'd only been about four and his kidnappers killed anyone in their way to get him back. As much as Nathan wanted to get away, he did not want his actions to result in other's being killed or terribly injured._

'_Okay, you know the drill' Kenny said to him. 'You move, we shoot' he said and left Nathan sitting on a park bench with Spike sitting beside him with a small bag. _

'_You get it, kid?' Bruce scowled, leaning to stare seriously at Nathan. He nodded fearfully and leaned back in his seat, gripping it tightly._

'_He won't run' Eve said, telling Bruce to get over there was they worked on their bomb and looked to the far end of the park to make sure Jack was still guarding their van. 'He's not that stupid, he knows the consequences'_

'_Peach?' Spike wondered, offering a piece of fruit to Nathan but he shook his head. 'Shame, they're perfectly ripe too' he sighed and ate his peaches from the bag he had with him._

_Nathan pinched his nose and frowned but then cautiously pulled one of his pencils from his pocket. He was down to three now, but this was worth the risk. He kept perfectly still while writing his name underneath the seat, hoping that Eve's bomb wasn't going to be big enough to destroy the seat and that someone may find it._

_But just his luck, Bruce turned to check on him and noticed his hand partially hidden. He growled but Eve placed a hand on his chest to stop him. Nathan was really getting on her nerves since he had been trying to get away smartly for months now. Normally a few threats and punishments and he wouldn't try anything for another month or two…but now he tried again as soon as the next day._

'_Nathan!' she snapped, making him jump and quickly withdraw his hand. She gave the area a nervous glance to check no one was around to report them. But Nathan's actions were heading that way and she had to stop it. Eve strode angrily over to Nathan and grabbed him by the hair, making him yelp in pain and fear._

'_You can't kill me!' Nathan cried out, knowing she wasn't allowed to. 'You said!'_

'_He's right' Spike jumped in but accepted the gun she passed to him. 'What are you going to do?' Spike wondered, seeing Eve's fury._

'_Teach him a lesson!' she growled and picked Nathan up, ignoring his fighting and pleads. She took him over to a large fountain in the park and roughly dropped him to his knees in front of it._

'_I am not going to kill you' Eve assured him. 'But if you try to write your name on anything ever again…this is what you'll get' she said and grabbed his hair again, shoving him face-first into the water and then pulled him up again so he could choke and get the water out of his system._

_Kenny was working hard on the bomb, but Bruce turned around to watch Eve shoving Nathan's head into the water while Spike frowned and took a step closer to them._

'_You're not trying to drown him, are you?' Spike asked._

'_No' Eve frowned at him. 'What did I tell you about me and Officer David?' she asked him, annoyed that Spike had to comment every time she had to teach Nathan a lesson or punish him._

'_That you know all her secrets?' Spike scratched his head._

'_No' Eve said, shoving Nathan's head into the water again. But Nathan had sensed it coming and held his breath but soon ran out of oxygen and couldn't breathe but was pulled up just in time._

'_Oh, right…that you know everything she does?' Spike finally remembered. _

'_Exactly. I know the tricks and facts of coercion so I know how long to keep him under…' Eve was saying but Nathan was thrust under again. When he was brought up again, he knew she would not stop until she heard what she wanted. _

'_I won't…' he choked. 'Won't write my name…ever again' he coughed and Eve shoved him into the water but didn't hold him down so he could quickly sit up again, glad the water was hiding his tears or he'd have been in trouble for that too._

'_Tough day, huh?' Spike asked, taking off his jacket before draping it over Nathan's shoulders. Spike then held out his hand and Nathan handed over his pencil, watching as one of the last pieces of his gift from Ari was snapped in two and then thrown into the fountain…_

--

'Argh! No!' Nathan jerked upright in his seat, his face sweating as he panicked and looked around wildly.

'Shhh, hush my love' Ziva was right by his side and comforting him, hugging him close and kissing his forehead as he cried against her.

* * *

'Is there anything you would like for dinner?' Ziva wondered as they got back home to place and the sun was starting to set.

'No' Nathan shrugged and took off his jacket.

'Okay' Ziva nodded and was worried about his quiet, jumpy behavior since what happened on the plane. 'It should be ready once you have had your bath-'

'No!' Nathan suddenly yelled in panic. 'No! No bath!' he screamed.

Ziva knew it wasn't a simple child's rebellion against having a bath or going to bed, it was something that scared him. But he'd never had a problem before. Was it about his nightmare? Something about water clearly scared him as he had thrown a glass of water Jed had offered him on the plane as well. 'Oh, Nathan' her heart broke as she saw her little boy crouching on the floor and just sobbing. She immediately went over and comforted him. 'Please do not cry'

Nathan cried for a moment but then resulted just to sniffing against her as he spoke. 'Tony said it's okay' he said, surprising her as she couldn't remember Tony ever saying that. Perhaps it had been when it was just him and Nathan?

'I feel better when I have a cry mama, and Tony said it is okay for boys to cry when something hurts' he sniffed, wiping his nose with his sleeve before she handed him a tissue.

As Nathan blew his nose, he finally acknowledged that they were back home and that meant…

'Mama, I want Tony! He makes me laugh' Nathan grabbed her; pleading for the extra protection Tony gave them and the fact that he could always cheer him up. 'I miss him! I want Tony!'

'I am sure Tony is very busy' Ziva said, not wanting to call her partner as he had already done so much for Nathan and asking more of him felt wrong.

'Please mama, can you ask him?' Nathan begged and his pain was too much for her to bear and Ziva nodded while she grabbed her phone.

'I swear it was McGee's fault!' Tony replied instantly as he answered the phone on his way to his car and hadn't seen the caller ID.

'I do not even want to ask' Ziva sighed.

'You are not Gibbs' Tony realized and tried not to sound _too_ happy to hear her voice.

'No, I am not' Ziva replied and frowned as Nathan tugged at her arm. 'Yes, I am asking him' she hissed.

'Something you wanna ask me?' Tony wondered, having heard her.

'Nathan, go get the take-away menu' Ziva instructed and once he'd walked away she answered. 'Nathan had a terrible nightmare on the plane and he is now refusing to go anywhere near water. He started crying and is asking for you. I am sure you are busy but I promised him that I would ask'

'I'm not busy' Tony jumped in quickly but hoped he hadn't sounded too eager. 'I just finished work and didn't even know you both were back…you're early'

'Nathan had enough of Israel' Ziva replied simply.

'Okay, I'll be right over' Tony said.

'Thank you' Ziva said and hung up, not giving him much chance to say anything else and she had to stop herself from telling him how much she had missed him.

'Is he coming?' Nathan asked eagerly, running over.

* * *

There was a knock at the door and their take-away had arrived. But while Ziva was paying for it, she spotted Tony pulling up outside. 'Nathan!' she called and her son came running over as the delivery man left.

'Tony!' Nathan grinned and ran to hug him, catching Tony off guard but he responded quickly and hugged him back briefly.

They went inside and ate their food while Nathan went on and on about what they did in Israel. After that Ziva cleaned away the mess and Nathan tried to clean his greasy hands without using water.

'Shouldn't you be having a bath?' he asked causally but then remembered Ziva saying he wasn't going near water and earned a death stare from her.

'Don't wanna' Nathan replied and looked at the floor.

Tony looked at Ziva and was surprised at how stressed and worried she appeared, not an emotion she generally showed. He now had a renewed respect for single parents that had to raise their kids on their own. He looked back at Nathan.

'But if you don't have a bath, you'll get smelly' he said and Nathan looked up at him, urging him to continue. 'If you get smelly then you'll have dogs and flies following you' Tony joked and Ziva approached, wanting him to shut up.

'I don't wanna smell' Nathan mumbled. 'Flies are annoying' he looked over at Ziva. 'If I have a bath, can Tony make sure I'm clean enough so I don't smell?'

'Yes' Ziva said and smiled appreciatively at Tony as she let Nathan drag her to the bathroom, determined not to become smelly. Tony stood in the doorway while Ziva helped Nathan with his bath and getting dressed. After that Tony pretended to make sure he was clean enough and then laughed as Nathan hugged him, until he didn't let him go.

'Ah…?' Tony glanced at Ziva for help but they could not convince Nathan to let him go.

'It's time for bed, Nathan…you will need to let Tony go'

'Tony can put me to bed' Nathan said and looked up at him. 'Please?'

Ziva watched and felt a bit left out as Tony put Nathan to bed and he seemed rather attached to him again. After both Tony and Ziva promised Nathan that they'd be right there, he soon fell asleep with his Toby bear. Tony and Ziva left the room and just stood in the hallway for a moment.

Ziva didn't say a word as she was worried that there is something Nathan's not telling her and that the situation may be worst than she thought. She frowned and paused in the hallway, pinching her brow slightly and then winced a little as a headache was coming on from all the stress she'd been under trying to be strong for Nathan. She was trained by Mossad and was used to being strong for herself but to be strong for someone else as well was much harder. Ziva couldn't calm her stress with an hour in a gym or crying herself to sleep alone, Nathan was with her all the time and Ziva had to be strong the entire time. But it was hard, and it was slowly breaking her down.

She then felt overwhelmed and looked at Tony, wanting someone to comfort her for once. She had never been one to want such human contact but after everything with Nathan, Ziva felt so alone and hated to admit it to herself but she really did need someone once in a while; like now.

Tony was surprised as Ziva sniffed and walked to him, burying herself in his shirt while trusting that he wasn't going to push her away. When she had first told the team about Nathan, Tony had hugged her, comforted her…so she only presumed he would let her take the comfort she needed now.

'It is hard' she sniffed an explanation and felt his arms wrapping around her as he comforted her, knowing that is what she needed right now.

'I'm not going anywhere' he told her strongly. 'I'm here if you need me, Ziva'

'I appreciate that' she nodded and moved away from him, wiping her eyes and avoiding his gaze as she felt a bit stupid for breaking down in front of him. Ziva only looked up to kiss his cheek and then mumbled something about going for a shower.

But after entering the bathroom, she realized she'd forgotten something and headed back but saw Tony walking into the bedroom. Ziva frowned and followed undetectably to see what he was doing but her heart melted when she saw him standing right beside Nathan's side of the bed, just watching her son sleep but there was a look of concern across his face. Tony was worried about him too. Ziva smiled a little as she knew he would make a good father to Nathan and that scared her.

* * *

After they'd both showered and while Nathan was still soundly asleep upstairs, Tony and Ziva felt it was still too early to head to sleep but Tony had decided to stay. So they sat on the couch and watched TV for a while until their movie ended and Tony felt the need to ask her something.

'Ah…did you sort out whatever you went to Israel for?' he asked causally, hoping they weren't planning a return anytime soon.

Ziva glanced at him and thought what to say. She couldn't exactly tell him that Nathan wanted him to be his father, it wouldn't be right. 'There is something you should know' she said, not feeling like lying to him or making up some lame response. 'But I cannot tell you, for my son's sake. He comes first' she explained and Tony nodded.

He watched her lower her gaze and after another moment of silence he decided to just tell her. 'There is something you should know too' he confessed and Ziva looked up again. 'I missed you and Nathan' he said, giving an admitting shrug. 'As crazy as it sounds' he added, laughing nervously, trying to mask how important they had become to him. He expected Ziva to roll her eyes or something, but then he saw something that surprised him. There it was again; that loving sort of smile she had given him previously. But this time it wasn't because of something he'd done for Nathan.

Ziva stared at the man in front of her. He cared out her son, he tried to cheer him up and watched over him protectively at times but Tony hadn't just missed Nathan when they were away…he'd miss her too. As she stared into his eyes, searching for venerability, she was surprised to find it. He hadn't just told her he'd missed them because they were his friends otherwise he'd have said it so casually and his own defensive mask wouldn't be up. But Ziva knew he was growing fond of Nathan just as he was for Tony, but his venerability suggested that perhaps he was growing fonder of her as well…as she'd hoped.

Ziva smiled, giving him a loving smile, one she knew he had picked up on because she'd never give off that look volunteering unless it was to Nathan; to her son it happened automatically. But she showed it to Tony because she wasn't all too good with words when it came to her feelings and such deep things. She was afraid to tell him how she felt, afraid to let him into her private world…but even though she was afraid, she simply could not resist anymore once he said he'd missed them…missed her. Ziva leaned closer and placed a hand on his right cheek, searching his eyes for resistance or rejection but she was greeted with something else…desire? No that couldn't be right; she had not seen this look directed at her before, but desire she had seen many times from greedy men that thought they had a chance with her. Ziva leaned even closer so her breath was mingling with his and still he gave her that look…the one she could not place. As her mind raced, fighting the rest of her for control, it hit her…love. That was something she could not remember anyone looking at her with before. Only Tali had ever given her a look as meaningful as that.

It gave her confidence as her mind blacked out and she softly pressed her lips to his, testing his reaction before kissing him and moving her tongue across his lips until his parted and granted access. After years of secretly loving him, hiding her feelings and desires…Ziva could not stop herself now. Or at least it felt that way until her mind kicked back in and she realized what was going on and that she wasn't fantasizing this moment as she had so many times before... Ziva then quickly pulled back, shocked to what she had just done.

Tony had almost recovered from his own shock but then felt the coldness as she pulled back and his lips lost her warmth, her taste. She had also surprised him to the tenderness of her touch. But now he saw the alarm in her eyes as she clearly hadn't planned on kissing him.

'I…I am sorry' Ziva quickly looked away. Tony almost laughed as she actually blushed…something he could never imagine her capable of doing.

'Don't be' he replied and leaned closer but she backed away, looking confused.

'What are you doing?' she asked.

'Trying to kiss you' Tony frowned; there was no going back for him either.

Ziva opened her mouth to argue but his lips crashed onto hers before she had the chance, although she did not fight him off. Their passion elevated and they moved closer on the couch, praying Nathan would stay asleep long enough for them to explore the other's mouth more thoroughly, challenged by their new connection.

Ziva wanted this so badly but at the same time she knew it wasn't a good idea, they should not be doing this. And Tony wasn't helping her self control as she felt his hands snake their way up her back. Normally she would have removed his hand for such contact, but she had initiated the first touch and her mind was focused elsewhere as she kissed him, the passion was electrifying as he kissed her back just as strongly and tenderly. Ziva felt him pushing her back slightly and leaning over her on the couch, making her break their kiss quickly.

'Tony, Nathan…' she started to remind him that they could not take this further, even while her head screamed that they shouldn't be doing this at all.

'I know' he whispered into her ear as he kissed her neck. 'I am just getting comfortable, Zee-Vah' Tony said and then purred in her ear, making her shiver slightly.

'Tony, you are driving me crazy' Ziva said, withholding a moan. 'If we do not stop, I will not be able to control myself' she admitted, sounding annoyed.

Tony nodded and kissed up her collarbone and then reached her lips again, kissing her for a few seconds and then straightened up. 'You're right' he nodded. 'But can I have one request?' he glanced at her and she nodded reluctantly. 'Tomorrow morning, I don't want to pretend this didn't happen'

'It cannot happen' Ziva replied.

'But it did' Tony said and she scowled at him. 'We can take things slow' he suggested.

'I am tired' Ziva said and was about to get up but Tony stopped her. 'Tony…' she went to say but he kissed her again, leaving her stunned a little as he pulled back just as quickly.

'I want to remember what you taste like' Tony explained and stood up, reaching for her hand but she did not take it, insisting she did not need help getting off her own sofa.

* * *

As the pair headed to bed, no doubt thinking endlessly about what had just ignited between them…several miles away but not as far as one would assume, someone else was also awake and thinking of other unexpected incidents.

'You some sort of health nut or something?' Bruce scowled at Spike.

'Grew up on a farm' Spike said. 'Can't help it if I'm a nut'

'Because that is so damn important right now!' Eve snapped at them. 'Can was stay on topic here? Nathan has proven to be quite a difficult youngster. Although he passed the test, shooting that man but now we have lost our van because you two idiots left it!' Eve rounded on Jack and Kenny. 'No matter, we know where he is' she sighed and did a hand gesture, indicating them to leave her room as they stayed at a hotel. Eve watched them leave and then went for a shower.

--

As she left the bathroom, still briefly drying her blonde hair, Eve gave her room a glance over and sighed. She sat on her bed and pulled out a laptop, bringing up her modified background check program. She typed and waited as the profile came up.

'Ari Haswari; Mossad Officer, Hamas Terrorist connection. Deceased' she read the name and scrolled down, having read it over a thousand times already but still she wanted to see his photo again, one that had only be added shortly after his death.

Eve sighed and searched another profile and her face went from interested to a soft scowl as she read the name and job title.

'Caitlyn Todd; NCIS Special Agent and former Secret Service. Deceased' she yawned and searched the last important name to her, frowning as the results had been modified only three days ago.

'John Mohamed, Israel Military Command…missing, presumably deceased' Eve's eyebrows rose at that. 'What the hell?' Eve shook her head and closed her laptop. Where did the "missing" come from? Ari had killed that man…surely. Eve lay down on her bed and decided she would worry about that later…right now she had more important things to be concerned about, such as...Nathan David.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Okay so I tried to do things realistically but also with my own spin so all Tiva fans...please let me know whatcha think!!! Also, I'm giving more info/hints about Eve so i's only a matter of time. Please review, I really need to hear opinions on this chapter more than any right now!! And I will update again soon, so please...whatcha think? :)**

**-Mel**


	15. Gradually

**Author's Notes:** Thanks to **M E Wofford, ImmIrose, Nikki Taylor05, amber-chick** and **carolinagirlfromsc**, my wonderful reviewers!! I am back with some more free time so updates will speed up again, whew. It's great to have regular reviewers and new ones, so thanks everyone. I would love to spend a whole page thanking and replying but that will take up space and we'll never get to the chapter so...I'm glad y'all liked the tiva moment, I was a bit worried about that. Nathan's nightmares are getting worst for him but it's a good thing for the readers because it gives info and insight. I'm glad that I'm portraying Ziva and Tony as parents well because that was one of my goals (still working on the tony/dad part though). **amber-chick** thanks for the suggestion, I did take it as others have said it as well before but guess it really is better as "T" rated rather than "M". Thanks for your writer comment, made me proud. Also, can I just call you Amber?  
Eve...a very mysterious, interesting woman that I just love to write...I know a lot of you want to know more about her, how she's involved and what she has against Ziva...well as of last chapter you will find out a lot more about her and see some more scenes in which you'll get to know a bit of what she's thinking/going through etc...but that is also a bad thing because she's after Nathan. Hey, becareful what you wish for! Nah, it's mostly because there's more to it than a simple kidnapping. Anyways, I've said enough...enjoy and please review!!

**Chapter fifteen: Gradually**

Nathan reached out and carefully pulled the bedroom door open, peaking inside the room cautiously before running and climbing onto the bed, rousing Tony from his sleep slightly. Nathan paused as Tony rolled over onto his back and then crawled closer before sitting right next to him.

'Tony, you gotta get up' he said, pushing him slightly.

'Do I now?' Tony grumbled a reply, keeping his eyes shut.

'Yup' Nathan nodded, crossing his legs. 'Mama said so'

'Did she now?' Tony said again, really not wanting to move at all. He also did not want to know how Ziva was going to act after their moment the night before.

'Mama said to come wake you up for work and if you don't get up she'll come get you' Nathan said in a matter-of-factly tone. 'She sounded scary' he added.

'I better get up' Tony realized but didn't move. He smirked and thought of something, he sat upright suddenly and Nathan squealed with laughter as he grabbed him and held him in the air before settling him on the floor and moving to get out of bed.

Nathan stood outside to wait as Tony got changed into something for work and than they headed down the stairs together.

--

'I got him up!' Nathan said proudly and Ziva smiled at her son, kissing his cheek but didn't even look at Tony as she turned to resume making breakfast.

'Pancakes on the table is for you' she said with her back turned but there wasn't anything cold about her tone. 'You will be late if you do not leave soon' Ziva added. 'I still have four days of leave left and I intend to use it' she explained and turned around, giving him a small nod of greeting.

Tony ate his pancakes quickly and drank the juice Nathan had made himself from squeezed oranges, wanting to help out with breakfast. He then got up and grabbed his stuff, heading out to the door but turned to say goodbye when Nathan ran after him.

'You promise you'll be back after work?' Nathan asked, a bit sad that Tony was leaving them all day.

'Yeah, I'll be back' Tony said but looked up at Ziva. 'You won't get rid of me that easily'

Ziva's eyes narrowed in annoyance and she crossed her arms but said nothing as Nathan reached up to him for a hug. 'You better go get dressed' Tony added and Nathan looked at Ziva, wincing slightly as she gave him a stern look and he ran for the stairs. But Nathan then paused on the third step and turned back, watching the two adults curiously.

'Are you going to miss me?' Tony wondered with a grin.

'I have not decided yet' Ziva frowned but was surprised when he took Nathan's absence as a chance to give her a quick kiss before he turned and headed to his car.

Nathan watched as his mother stood there, either watching him leave or too shocked to move. He then grinned broadly and continued the rest of the way up the stairs.

* * *

Tony had arrived at NCIS a bit late and got a Gibbs-slap as a result, but he didn't mind. He was feeling pretty good with himself right now and no wrath from Gibbs was going to change that unless he made him work overtime. They got a case but it was an average, basic case of an angry wife so there was mostly paperwork to do. As Tony pulled out his second file to work on, his cell phone rang and he had to reach across some more papers to answer it as it lay on his desk.

'DiNozzo?' he answered causally.

'Tony?' Nathan's voice asked, sounding a bit hushed and confused.

'Yeah, is everything alright?' Tony wondered.

'Yup' Nathan nodded. 'Okay, so mama won't tell you but she does like flowers. Mostly roses, like white ones or red ones' he said quickly, now it was Tony's turn to be confused. 'She likes to dance, so if you know a place with a dance stage or whatever it is…then that's great'

'Nathan, what are you doing?' Tony asked, unable to keep the amusement off his face, which had McGee and Gibbs glance at him curiously.

'Telling you how to make mama happy' Nathan replied. 'I thought it was obvious'

Tony laughed and that but realized that Nathan must have seen him giving Ziva a kiss that morning. But giving him tips on how to make her happy meant Nathan wanted him to be with Ziva…which made Tony happy. 'Does your mom know about this?' he then asked seriously and Nathan went quiet, there was just something guilty about his silence. 'How did you even get her phone without her knowing?' he wondered curiously as Ziva always kept her phone on her.

'I'm hiding' Nathan confessed but then the bathroom door opened and he froze with a wince on his face.

'Not anymore' Ziva frowned at him, crossing her arms with a scowl.

'I gotta go' Nathan said to Tony, sounding defeated.

'Yeah' Tony nodded. 'I'll see you later, kid' he sighed and hung up, laughing softly to himself but then looked up to see he was being watched. 'What?' he asked and McGee went back to his computer but Gibbs stared at him questionably. 'Ah…Nathan was just asking me something' he shrugged and turned back to his file. Gibbs could tell he was lying but said nothing. He'd noticed that Tony had been acting a little nervous around him today but he seemed a lot happier than he'd seen him in along time. Tony also clearly knew that Ziva and Nathan were back from Israel. Gibbs and the Director were previously the only two to know as Ziva had called them. But if Tony knew, she'd either called him or…he'd stayed at Ziva's place again. Gibbs looked at his computer, shrugging it off to just being Nathan's case of attachment. If he let himself think anything else on the matter he was going to need another cup of coffee.

* * *

Ziva had taken Nathan into town as they needed to get out of the house for a while. She hated being cooped up in there and Nathan had been indoors for long enough in his life. They went to the park for a while and Ziva had an eagle eye on her son as he played and associated with some other children near his age; after that was lunch and Nathan insisted on getting some more movies as he was fascinated by them. That small request then turned into a shopping trip.

The pair sat on a park bench to check over what they'd bought and Ziva took that chance to confront him about earlier that morning.

'Nathan, why did you call Tony?' she asked and he looked up at her, looking a bit hesitant. 'You can tell me, my love'

'Mama, I'm sorry I took your phone' Nathan said, looking away and blushing slightly. 'I called Tony because I miss him…but I don't want him to leave us' he said. 'I like him'

'I like him too' Ziva replied and crouched in front of Nathan, placing her hands on his shoulders.

'He likes you too' Nathan smiled. 'He told me once that you're best friends…what are you now?' he wondered.

'What do you mean?' Ziva asked. 'We are still best friends'

'But he kissed you' Nathan said and squirmed a little as he thought kissing was gross.

Ziva realized that he must have seen them that morning and stood up, placing her hands on her hips as she tried to rectify the situation. 'Nathan…'

'I am happy' Nathan jumped in, not liking the look on her face. It was her worried look. 'I don't want you to send Tony away because of a kiss! Please don't make him leave!' he then pleaded with her.

Ziva smiled inwardly as she realized that Nathan was actually happy about everything, but how long would that last? 'I am not sending Tony away, I could never do that' Ziva replied.

'So what are you?' Nathan asked again. 'Is this when you become married?'

Ziva almost fell over when she heard that. 'No!' she said quickly and regained her posture, taking a breath before continuing. 'Um…I suppose we are dating' she frowned, not really sure but Tony constantly reminded her that he wasn't going anywhere so she assumed that they were together, right?

'What's that?' Nathan frowned.

'Um…we are boyfriend and girlfriend. Which is like being friends but better' she said, not feeling too comfortable with the conversation or explaining relationships to her seven-year-old son.

'Oh, okay' Nathan nodded. 'Good'

Ziva turned to gather their shopping and Nathan glanced around but then froze and his blood ran cold as he saw Eve watching him from across the street. She was sitting on the top of a bench while Spike sat on the bench eating an apple, slicing it with a knife. Beside Spike was Kenny, reading a newspaper casually. Behind them, leaning against a store window was Kenny's brother Jack as he spoke with Bruce next to him. The four of them weren't watching him but Eve stared right at Nathan, making him feel as though her eyes were looking right into his soul. Her eye's narrowed and she shook he head.

'Mama!' Nathan grabbed her and sobbed, pointing blindly across the street.

'What is it?' Ziva looked up in full Mossad-mode and placed her hand on her concealed gun, but she could not see anything apart from a crowd of people.

'They're watching me! They're watching me!' Nathan panicked, hiding his eyes so Eve couldn't see him.

Ziva had memorized the pictures Abby's computer had sketched of Nathan's kidnappers but none of them appeared to be across the street. 'Where, Nathan?' she asked urgently, gripping her gun tighter.

Nathan looked over but sniffed as he saw they were gone. He looked up at his mother and shook his head, appearing very confused.

'We are going home, now' Ziva said and grabbed his arm.

As Nathan eagerly followed his mother back to the car, Eve turned away from the store window and watched him, still shaking her head at him. Nathan gulped as he knew all too well as to what she was trying to get across to him. Her head shaking…that was a warning.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Would it be wrong of me to say that I loved this chapter? All of it. And just to varify: Nathan wasn't seeing things or going crazy etc. So..._it begins_.  
Please let me know whatcha think! And any questions etc you have, please ask them because I'll be answering a few soon enough. But this fic is massively far from being over. These five are only a part of the kidnapping plot...there is still much more mystery and danger to come :) but you will find out more about them soon enough and who Eve is. Eve's not the only one with a connection to Ziva.**

**Anyways, the next update will be very soon (again, depending on reviews)!Pleasse let me know whatcha think!**

**-Mel**

* * *


	16. Reassurance

**Author's Notes:** Wow! 10 reviews, I am mighty happy right now! Actually, I was going to update not long after I got Amber's review as it motivated me but then my internet died and I only just got it fixed up now...but I'm glad because it means I got more reviews to make me happy and update!  
**_Normally with larger numbers of reviews I will list all names and answer any comments/questions...but I'm going to personally thank everyone this time since I'm so happy with the responses! So if you're one of those people that read this fic, added it to alerts but did not review, the answer to some of your questions may be here_.**

glorias, thanks, i'm glad you loved it. **Meagan**, Nathan is adorable and the Tiva is what I know some have been waiting for but I hoped I did it nicely. **lucy ashwihre**, Eve is not Nathan's real mother, just to clear that up...Ziva is his real mother 100%. And no Eve was not Nathan's father's wife. There is more Tiva fluff planned, right now things are a little new so yeah. Patience hehe. **m e wofford**, the relationship between tony and nathan is one of my fave thing to write so i'm glad you love it still. Intriguing is a good sign, for me anyway :). **love angel 1705**, your review made me smile, I'm glad you're enjoying this fic and that I'm doing the tony/ziva with a kid thing right! **carolinagirlfromsc**, Nathan's dad died a long time ago, it's more explained in a upcoming chapter where Ziva flashes back, that will explain it better. Spike is a very fun character to write because he's complex and for that reason I cannot answer your question. Not even he really knows who he's connected to! **Caitlin**, glad you think this fic is awesome! Yay. Why Nathan was kidnapped is not something I want to give away in a author's notes but there is more than one reason...you'll find out soon along with a few twists and turns involving that. And my **anonymous** reviewer, thanks for the review, breathtaking was what I hoped this fic could be...wow, glad it is! :). Also this fic will be longer...going to at least chapter 50.  
Now...my two best reviewers that took their time to go more in depth...THANK YOU! It really helped and motivated me a lot. **Immirose**, thanks and yay the fic keeps getting better, I think so too cuz more is being revealed and tiva is heating up. Oh yes, Tony does want Ziva...but the poor Israeli isn't sure howt o tell him she may wnat him more! haha. Wanna know why Eve was so open about watching Nathan? Cuz she knows with pure certaincy that Nathan won't tell anyone about her. Why? How? Nah, I'm not gonna spill too much! But you're right about the chills, Nathan's not doing too good right now. Poor kid. **AMBER!!** my reviewing god. Not just because of how happy your review made me but it really helped me and now I've panned through to chapter 33 while pulling out of my writer's block at chapter 21 (almost done writing it now). Thanks! I take any good advice my readers give me, they just don't usually know it until later. I can't tell you what Eve is up to, but it's more than one. I also can't say if Nathan will tell Tony/Ziva about her but they will know eventually...I promise! Haha I lvoed Nathan sneaking Tony's phone as well! How he even did that without her knowing...a mystery, yeah...even I have no idea! I very much loving your review and your frequent use of 'very much' lol, it's a good thing. And you reminded me to factor the "daddy" thing in too, thanks. No I can't say when but you won't have to wait til like chapter 33...pfth no way.

Now enough with the reviewer blesing and onwards with the story lol! Oh by the way...did I mention Gibbs finds out in this chapter? *evil smirk* forgot to tell y'all at the end of last chapter.I hope I did it right! Please review!!**

* * *

Chapter sixteen: Reassurance **

Ziva rubbed Nathan's back as they sat on the couch and waited for Tony to come home. Nathan was still a bit shaken up and scared due to the events that had occurred while they were out and Ziva was trying to remain calm. The kidnappers had been right across the street and she hadn't noticed. Ziva felt mad, pained and useless. She felt that she was betraying her son for not noticing, for not putting her focus and Mossad training above everything else. Perhaps Tony would become too much a distraction? She had been thinking about him when Nathan noticed that they were being watched. Ziva was a trained Mossad Officer! It was her job to notice when they were being watched, it was her job to protect her son and make sure the kidnappers could not get within miles of him. How dare she be so out of focus, Ziva was going against everything she'd believed in and was trained to believe. She was feeling rather angry and terrible right now as she tried to hide those feelings away and just comfort her upset and frightened son. It broke her heart to think that she may have to factor Tony out of the equation, if she wanted to be focused on her son's safety. Nathan had to come before everything.

Nathan shifted in her arms and pulled Ziva from her thoughts. She then heard the lock on her front door clicking and Tony walked in, looking tired but rather relaxed. Before Ziva could try to remember when she'd ever given him a key, Nathan looked up and saw Tony.

'TONY!' he yelled and ran to him, hugging him tightly around the middle, almost knocking him into the closed and relocked door.

'Hey…' Tony patted Nathan's back, worried as he was now sobbing. He looked over at Ziva and saw her angry expression that she was trying to hide, but since their kiss, he found he was having an easier time reading the small glimpse of expressions she had. 'What's wrong?' he turned to ask Nathan as Ziva looked distant.

'They found me! I saw them!' Nathan explained hysterically but his tears had stopped, for now.

'They were watching from across the street and I did not know' Ziva added, frowning at herself and Tony finally caught on. 'I looked over and they were gone'

Tony was about to try and convince her that it wasn't her fault but Nathan grabbed his hand and dragged him over to the couch. He sat between the adults and held Tony's hand while hugging Ziva tightly.

Ziva waited until Nathan's cries died down a little before moving on to get his mind on something else. 'How about you show Tony the movies you bought today?' she suggested.

'Movies? Which ones have you braved this time?' Tony jumped in enthusiastically, knowing what Ziva was trying to do and he tried to encourage it.

--

After showing Tony every DVD in detail, the three of them settled down to watch 'Cats and Dogs' until halfway through when Nathan started getting nervous again.

'Is everything locked?' he wondered.

Ziva knew every lock and latch were locked or bolted, but Nathan did not see her as a Mossad Officer or anything more than simply his mother, which meant he needed reassurance that he was safe.

'Yes, but I will double check' Ziva nodded and went to "check" all the locks upstairs first while Tony paused the movie.

'Mama told Agent Gibbs what happened just before you came home' Nathan said, feeling the need to tell Tony everything he may not already know.

'Good' Tony nodded and smiled at how Nathan used the words "before you came _home_".

'I am glad you're here' Nathan leaned to him now that Ziva's space on the couch was empty. 'And mama told me, so I am also happy that you're her boyfriend'

Tony's eyebrows went right up at that and he glanced down at Nathan to see that he was looking up at him with a smile. 'She told you that?' Tony asked.

'Yup' Nathan nodded and glanced back at the TV screen.

* * *

'Go to sleep, my love' Ziva ran her hand gently through Nathan's head as his eyes began to close slowly. She then kissed his forehead and moved back so Tony could give him his bear that had been dropped near the closet that morning.

'There you go' Tony said as Nathan took Toby bear and cuddled it just before his eyes finally won their battle and he dozed off to sleep. Tony waited outside the doorway while Ziva finished tucking him in and smirked at her when she came out.

'So' he said as casually as he could. 'I heard that we're dating' he said.

Ziva crinkled her nose and headed downstairs as she tried to explain it away, fearing they had gone too far and that Nathan's safety may be in jeopardy. But there was also her everyday fear of things not working out and of losing him because of it.

'Nathan saw you kissing me this morning' Ziva frowned at him but then looked away 'He wanted to know what that made as, he is not stupid. I did not know what else to say' she shrugged but then glanced at him to see his reaction. She noticed that he appeared to be calm, but there was something about his eyes that revealed he wasn't at all happy with her reply so she elaborated her thoughts. 'It was after that I failed to notice the kidnappers being right there'

'Ziva' Tony sighed. 'It wasn't your fault and you'd have noticed if they tried something' he said but then quiet, as he didn't want to say the wrong thing.

'You are not happy' Ziva noticed, annoyed that he was hesitant in what he was thinking. 'I demand to know why' she frowned.

'Maybe because I like you?' Tony frowned back, how could she not see it yet? Was she that afraid of a relationship with him? What if she didn't feel as strongly as he did? 'I don't want to lose what we have before it even begins. But I don't like your consistency to fight us' he admitted with a shrug.

'I am tired' Ziva said and he just nodded without another word as they headed back upstairs for bed. Ziva then felt bad as she caught a glimpse of the slight hurt but mostly disappointment in his eyes. She placed a hand on his arm as she leaned closer to his face, pausing for a second and then kissed him slowly on the lips. Ziva then turned quickly and entered the bedroom, climbing under the covers next to her son. Tony stood at the doorway for a moment and smiled.

He soon got into bed on Nathan's other side, and while he was sure that Ziva would stay up for several more hours, he simply could not and fell asleep.

Meanwhile, Nathan's mind was in a less pleasant place as he flashed back in his dreams to the day of his and Ziva's reunion…

--

'_Wait kid, what is your name?' the kind lady asked him as the man spoke on the phone._

'_Nathan David' he replied quickly before running out the door of the gas station again._ _He glanced around but there was only an old empty, blue pickup truck parked nearby. He was sure it was safe again and took off towards the left, heading in the direction he had been for hours, hoping that eventually he would reach a town. All Nathan could think of as he ran was: Please don't let them get me…not again. Please find me, Mama!_

_He reached the roadside again and tripped on a branch and landed flat on his face, getting dirt on his face and his hair tangled with a wild bush. He tried to free his hair just as a black van pulled up nearby and his blood ran cold. Bruce and Jack opened the back and an unfamiliar man stepped out while loading his gun. Kenny sat in the front at the driver's seat which was odd because he never drove the van before._

_Nathan pulled his hair free but stayed frozen behind the bush. Once it was clear, he took off and ran deeper into the bushes and trees in hopes of losing them but also not getting lost or he would not make it back to the road._

_He heard footsteps behind him and glanced back to see the man with the gun had spotted him and was chasing him. Gunfire rang out and he dove to the ground, holding his hands over his head. Nathan crawled through a massive log and once out the other end he continued to run, not knowing how far the man was behind him._

'_You can't run forever boy!' the man's deep and angry voice called out, making Nathan so scared he almost couldn't run anymore. 'I'll find you, boy…you ain't getting away' he said and then laughed the sickening laugh that was haunting Nathan…_

--

'No!' Nathan jerked upright in the bed, startling Ziva and waking Tony. 'No, no!' he fought the blankets that were restraining him and tossed Toby bear by accident, still not completely awake.

'Nathan!' Ziva's voice broke through his fears and he looked at her, more tears falling down his face. Ziva hated how often he cried, how the fear was still captivating even over a month since his escape.

'It's okay, it's just us' Tony yawned and sat up, rubbing his eyes while Ziva pulled Nathan closer and hugged him.

'It is okay, my love' Ziva said. 'You are safe'

* * *

It was the following morning around ten when Gibbs walked back into the office to see that Tony had his head rested on his desk as he slept. He'd been falling asleep constantly for hours but now he seemed to have lost the battle. But it was really getting on Gibbs's nerves.

'DiNozzo!' Gibbs growled and kicked the font of his desk, waking Tony instantly and he looked around sleepily, wondering what was going on and where he was. 'How many more times are you going to do this? How are you supposed to do your job if you lose sleep at night over some girl you'll never see again?' he asked, annoyed to the bone but also a bit concerned.

Tony yawned and stretched before confessing to Gibbs the truth. 'I was up all night with Nathan's nightmares, boss'

'You were staying at Ziva's again?' McGee spoke up shock from his desk, earning himself a glare from Gibbs.

'I gotta admit, the kid's growing on me' Tony admitted and yawned again.

Gibbs studied Tony's face hard and believed that there's more to the situation that just that. Even if he had become best friends with Nathan, Gibbs found it unlikely that Tony would stay at Ziva's that often or that Ziva would allow it.

'McGee, give this to Abby' Gibbs held up a Caf-Pow!

'Sure boss' McGee said and left the squad room in the direction of the lab.

Gibbs waited for the elevators to soundly close before speaking again, not taking his eyes off Tony's as he seemed more awake when he was being intimidated. Gibbs leaned on Tony's desk and stared at him, talking in a low but serious voice. 'Is there anything I should, Tony?' he asked and as Tony's mouth opened he cut him off. 'If there is, and you lie…you and all involved with suffer the consequences' he said, never looking more serious in Tony's eyes before.

Tony gulped softly before thinking if lying was worth it. He did not want to be fired or for Ziva to be sent back to Mossad, hence losing her and Nathan. But something told him that Gibbs would be more upset about the fact he'd lied to hide it rather than just getting it out.

'Um, Ziva and I may have started something' he confessed and was already foreseeing his death as Gibbs was quiet. Tony then realized that his boss was waiting for him to elaborate. 'Things are confusing' he added. 'Ziva isn't being clear but I am still staying at her place'

'Well yeah DiNozzo, you practically live there' Gibbs replied, relieved that his senior agent was finally opening up to him and he softened his glare a little as encouragement, which Tony took.

'I wasn't hiding it boss, only happened yesterday' Tony said, a bit confused as to why he hadn't been slapped yet or even shot.

Gibbs accepted his answer and straightened up while nodding, thinking for a moment. 'Don't screw it up' he said, feeling the need to drill some advice into Tony. 'Ziva's not any other girl'

'You're worried about Ziva, boss?' Tony asked, knowing that Gibbs had a fatherly relationship with Abby and had with Kate… he guessed the same thing went for Ziva too.

'Nope' Gibbs said as he headed to his desk. 'I'm worried about she'll do to you if you screw this up, DiNozzo' he said, trying not to smirk at the realization on Tony's face.

'That's a good point' Tony winced as Gibbs walked out to get more coffee as his last one was now cold and mostly empty. 'It's not me I'm worried about' Tony then sighed. He was more worried what would happen to Nathan if things went sour between him and Ziva. Nathan; the young boy that Tony found himself caring a lot about, the boy that had been through enough in his life and had a strong liking for Tony. If anything, Tony wanted the relationship to last…for Nathan's sake.

* * *

**Author's Notes: I know, it's not as long this chapter but there's a reason for it and this chapter was significant...it meants that Tony and Ziva are officially in a relationship and Gibbs knows. I hoped it was to character (I honestly don't think he would really fire them for a relationship that is hardly a few hours old and there's a kid involved...so yeah). Please review and let me know whatcha think! I'll update again in a few days unless my reviewers motivate me otherwise. Also, what do y'all think of the 2nd banner for this fic? (located in my profile).**


	17. Taking Another Small Step

**Author's Notes:** I'm loving the reviews people. Thanks to: **m e wofford, dc, scottishcheeserollincabaiste, museurania, samleigh** and** carolinagirlfromsc.** I'm glad the way I wrote Gibbs was right and fit well, that's such a relief. Nathan wasn't kidnapped just because of what Eve has to do with Ziva by the way, there are _at least_ 3 people involved in the reason...Ziva being one of them. I can't reveal too much about Eve's connection with Ari but John Mohamed is not Nathan's father, just to clear that up. It's good to hear that I'm doing good with the characters and that you like how I'm handling Ziva/Tony. I love the comments about my writing as well as the fic, make me more proud. Gibbs makes it more NCIS? Really, okay cool...i'm glad.  
And a huge thanks to my major reviewers: **immirose, Amber **and new reviewer **cflat**. I'm glad you picked up on how observant Nathan is, I was trying to make it clear without it being as obvious. It plays an important part in the story now and later on so I'm glad you noticed. Tony and Ziva are indeed rather confused right now heh. I always intended for things to happen between them gradually and I plan to keep it mostly that way. I want things to flow properly and more realistically. Gibbs most likely knew about their relationship before they did lol. Ziva as a mother was something I wasn't too sure how people would react to but I'm relieved people seem to be really enjoying it. Caitlyn is indeed mispelt, now that you point it out. I forget sometimes because I have it as a middle name and it's with a "y" not a "i". Sorry bout that! end punctuation after speech is something I don't use much and I honestly have no idea why or notice it but it seems better without to me. I dunno what to say there, but it is annoying or just noticable?

**I know many reviewers have stated over time (this fic and others) that they like me thanking them etc in my author's notes. I know sevral authors use the private reply thing and I had thoguht about it dozens of times but this way everyone gets the same answers and it shows more how greatful I am. Which way would everyone prefer it? I really love writing it here but am always worried it will take up to much room. Which would you prefer? I hoenstly love doing it this way and it seems more productive and informative to all.****

* * *

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**Chapter seventeen: Taking another small step**

It still felt strange for Tony to head "home" after work and have someone to go home to; that there was someone waiting for his return and that wanted to hear about his day. Nathan usually wanted to hear what he did at NCIS while Ziva was usually making or preparing dinner at the time.

Today was a bit different. He walked through the door and he hadn't even seen Nathan move before something was shoved in his face. He moved back to see it and noticed that it was something painted and looked like clay. After further inspection he realized it was a train.

'I made it for you' Nathan explained proudly.

'Well, thank you' Tony smiled and patted Nathan's head. 'I will have to sit this on my desk at NCIS so everyone can see it' he said and Nathan looked excited at that. 'What's the occasion?' he then wondered as he smelt Ziva's special recipe…something was defiantly going on.

'Can we ask him yet?' Nathan pleaded.

'Patience, Nathan' Ziva smiled. 'It can wait until after dinner'

'But…' Nathan started but received a firm look and stuck out his bottom lip in annoyance.

--

While finishing the last of their ice cream dessert, Ziva finally gave Nathan permission to ask Tony what he had been waiting all day to ask.

'Is this good or bad?' Tony winced, putting his bowl down.

'Good' Nathan replied quickly before Ziva could even open her mouth. 'Tony, mama said I can ask you if you want to live with us in our new house' he said, finally getting it out.

'You are here every night anyway' Ziva added, hoping it didn't sound too rushed or forward.

Tony gave her a look and then turned to Nathan's eager face. 'Well that's up to your mom' he joked.

'Please?' Nathan then turned to her as Tony smirked.

'I would it very much' she admitted and tried to appear calm but was holding her breath.

'In that case…sure' Tony nodded and Nathan gave a cheer, and then hugged him which made both adults laugh.

--

'And you are sure about this?' Ziva asked as she and Tony stood outside the bathroom door while Nathan was inside having his bath.

'I am sure' Tony told her for the fourth time that hour. He then remembered earlier that day and pulled out his cell phone.

'Who are you calling?' Ziva wondered.

'Gibbs' Tony replied and just as their boss answered, Ziva tried to grab the phone.

Gibbs raised an eyebrow as he accepted the call but listened in as he heard the panic in Ziva's voice…which sounded very odd and out of place.

'_Are you crazy?'_ she was saying, not aware that Gibbs was listening in.

'_Probably, but he already knows about us, I told him'_ Tony confessed but soon realized that to be a bad idea when his yelp quickly followed while Gibbs listened in amusement.

'_Why Tony?'_ Ziva asked, sounding mostly angry but also worried._ 'He will make me leave'_

There were more sounds of struggle and it somehow Tony had won the phone war.

'Hey boss' Tony said cheerily.

'Put Ziva on' Gibbs said.

'He wants to talk to you' Tony held the phone to Ziva but seemed reluctant to take it.

'Yes Gibbs?' she asked casually.

'Ziva' Gibbs said firmly, since she could not see his face he had to put his seriousness and honesty into his tone. 'I am not making any decisions about rule 12 right now. I am giving you and DiNozzo a chance to make this work. But if you break up…you're both in for it' he said, growling a little at the end.

'Thank you' Ziva said and Tony took the phone, making her cause him bodily harm again. After yelping, Tony brought up the reason for his call. 'Boss? I was ah…wondering if I can have the morning off tomorrow. Um, we're…as in Ziva, Nathan and I…are going to look for a house, which Ziva was going to do anyway but now I'm…they…' Tony sighed.

'I get it' Gibbs said before Tony exhausted himself in trying to explain.

'Nathan's growing' Tony added, still feeling nervous in sharing these things with Gibbs, half expecting him to show up and slap him. 'He's taken to kicking in his sleep…we need a bigger place'

Gibbs sighed in defeat and hoped he wasn't making things worst or harder by letting them go through with their budding relationship. 'Fine' he said. 'Unless we get a case DiNozzo, you come in at 2pm tomorrow' he said and hung up before they asked anything else from him. There were becoming more days like these in which he felt more and more like a father than a boss.

* * *

With Tony's promise of getting off work until 2pm, he had intended to sleep in. But it was also Ziva's third last day before her leave from work was up and she did not want to waste time as finding a house to live in could take a long time. And if they got a case, Tony would have to leave.

'Told you' Nathan crossed his arms as Tony merely groaned when Ziva tried to wake him. 'He doesn't wanna get up'

'He will be getting up' Ziva frowned. 'Did you finish you cereal?' she then asked Nathan and he looked guilty. 'Go on, I will get Tony up' she nodded and he left. She checked he had really gone downstairs and then sat next to Tony on the bed. 'Tony' she scowled and shoved him.

'You don't scare me' was his pillow-muffled reply and his eyes remained closed.

Ziva frowned in annoyance but decided on another tactic. She leaned closer so her lips were right at his ear and she spoke slowly, making sure to breathe on his ear and neck.

'I have other useful methods to getting you up, Tony' she said and his eyes flew open, something she noticed and smiled at. 'But of course, my son is just downstairs so I think it would be best if I just hurt you, yes?' she asked and her hand slid under the covers, heading towards a particular sensitive spot.

'Okay, I'm up' Tony announced and sat upright, making her pull back before their heads collided.

'Finished!' Nathan ran into the room. He looked from Ziva's face to Tony's, frowning slightly. 'Are we going now?'

'Yes' Ziva said as Tony got out of bed and searched his bag on the floor for something to wear.

* * *

'How may I help you?' a read headed lady at the Real Estate Agency smiled at them when they walked in.

'We're looking for a house' Tony said.

'Obviously' Ziva muttered under her breath while holding Nathan's hand tightly.

--

After only a few minutes, Ziva did not like that woman. She was too nice, too helpful and cheery and kept looking at Tony oddly. Nathan didn't like her much either because she talked too much and too fast.

'Ah…we work at NCIS' Tony flashed his badge. 'Do you have a place nearby with say…three bedrooms, a bathroom and double garage?' he wondered, not at all worried by the woman.

'Why do we need three bedrooms?' Ziva jumped in.

'If I have a friend over or we have quests' Nathan said.

'Exactly' Tony nodded. 'And Nathan, it's "guests" not "quests" okay?' he said and turned back to the lady as she appeared with a billboard.

'We have several houses in the area with the description you requested' she said.

'What about nearby store or school?' Tony continued.

'No school' Ziva jumped in again. 'Nathan is not going to school in America. He needs education in both Hebrew and English…he is being homeschooled'

'Scratch the school thing then' Tony said to the lady.

'Very well' she smiled. 'We have three houses, some with more yard…'

Nathan zoned out to the lady's rambling and got bored so he started to wander a bit.

'Nathan, stay in view' Ziva ordered him, getting a bit nervous now that he wasn't right next to her.

He nodded and walked some more, looking at billboards and pictures. He sighed and then turned away from the talking group behind him and bumped into another Real Estate person.

'Oh, sorry sir…' Nathan went to apologize but the man turned around and he gasped as it was none other than Spike. Nathan couldn't move or call for help, he was just frozen on the spot in fear.

'It's okay' Spike said. 'Want some grapes?' he held a bunch out but Nathan shook his head while walking backwards a little.

Spike nodded and then held out an envelope with a gloved hand. 'This is for Ziva' he explained.

Nathan looked at it and then snatched it before turning and running to Ziva, crying as images of kidnap and punishment invaded his mind.

Ziva said nothing and shoved Nathan off her and at Tony, catching both boys by surprise. She grabbed her gun and ran where Nathan was pointing wildly.

'Hey' Tony picked Nathan up and rubbed his back as he clung to him for protection.

'Is everything okay?' the redhead asked and Tony cast her a warning look.

'You better leave' Tony said quickly and she nodded, moving away to avoid Ziva's wrath.

Ziva came back a few seconds later swearing in Hebrew until she reached Nathan and he looked at her in surprise before burying his face against Tony's shoulder again.

'He's gone, again!' Ziva snapped and kicked a billboard over angrily, causing it to break in half and crumble.

* * *

Cutting their trip short, they headed back to Ziva's place and after contacting Gibbs they just settled to wait for him. Ziva was pacing back and forth in the living room, seething in anger and muttering in French (so Nathan didn't know what she was saying). Nathan was sitting on Tony's lap and was playing with Toby bear's ears silently

Gibbs had shown up to pick up the letter in hope that Abby could pull prints off it. When he got there, he saw that Nathan was asleep on the couch while Ziva sat with him. She looked up as Gibbs accepted the piece of paper from Tony and noticed her partner was now mad also.

'235089?' Gibbs read the piece of paper. 'What does that mean?'

'No idea boss' Tony frowned and Ziva left her son's side to give Gibbs a piece of her mind.

'This is the second time they have come close to my son!' she hissed. 'Each time they get a little closer…and then disappear!'

'Ziva' Gibbs risked placing a hand on each of her shoulders to calm her down.

'No, she's right boss' Tony said. 'They're too sneaky, and they will not leave Nathan alone'

'DiNozzo' Gibbs warned. He understood their anger and he wanted to help, but both of his best agents were losing their calm to the anger they had for the kidnappers. Something they could not risk doing around Nathan.

'Mama' Nathan mumbled as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. Ziva went to him and picked him up before walking back over to Gibbs.

'Ziva, I need to talk to you...alone' Gibbs told her and she nodded, passing Nathan over to Tony which had now become very natural for both Ziva and Nathan but Tony was still caught by surprise each time.

'I have no idea why they want my son' Ziva answered before Gibbs could even ask but she knew he would get around to that sooner or later.

'You can't think of even one person that would do this?' Gibbs raised an eyebrow as Ziva was an assassin in Mossad. Her enemy list could possibly be higher than Tony's date list.

'I did not recognize any of the men in the sketches Abby had done' Ziva replied.

'Wasn't the question' Gibbs frowned.

'Do you not think that if I knew who was doing this I would tell you?' Ziva growled but kept her voice low.

'Depends' Gibbs said. 'Do you want revenge, Ziva?'

'Is that a trap question?' Ziva frowned.

'Trick question' Tony corrected as he overheard and Nathan was asleep again.

'Whatever' she frowned and turned to Gibbs. 'Of course I want to kill the scum responsible for this' she growled. 'But I have told you everything I know'

'Not everything' Gibbs narrowed his eyes but didn't elaborate and went quiet as the tension in the air was very thick now, and they were still mad…not a good time for discussions.

'I also wish to thank you for not firing Tony or me' Ziva sighed, lowering her gaze.

'Don't thank me' Gibbs shrugged. 'It was Tony's honestly that saved your asses'

'Still, I thank you' Ziva said and Gibbs nodded, silently accepting it.

'Pack your gear' Gibbs then said strongly after a moment of silent thinking. 'You're all staying with me tonight'

* * *

**Author's Notes: hahaha, I adore this chapter...but that's just my opinion...what did you think? Okay so we're up to chapter 17 now so I'm sure you all know how it works: the more reviews/longer reviews I get the faster I update...otherwise I udpate in no more than a week. So yeah...can't wait to hear everyone's thoughts on this!**

**-Mel**


	18. Sleepover

**Author's Notes:** Hey, as usual...thanks so much to all my reviewers! **cflat, dkscully1121, 1want2marrygibbs, m e wofford, caitlin, alterangirl** and** carolinagirlfromsc! **I am going to give the end puncutation thing a go, since I've enver sued it before (never knew I had to readlly for speech) so yeah. Nathan isn't protecting Eve, he just fears her so much and there is also an underlying reason why he won't tell them about her, which is explain soon enough. Gibbs certainly isn't very fond of the kidnappers, but he is more worried about Nathan and Ziva at the moment. I'm glad Gibbs's acceptance is in character, whew! This chapter is very aimed at a Gibbs/Nathan focus and Gibbs/tiva focus so yeah...funny that people should request it jsut before I was going to have it anyway :). Glad everyone likes this fic and I am updating as fast as I can! Also thanks **immirose**, trying to get Tony out of bed scene was by far my fave! I re-read it a lot. Spike can be creepier than Eve, I actually agree with you there, but he's my fave to write...such a fun complex character. Ha! Yes, Spike is nicer to Nathan than most, hm...why? Yes, exactly!! Another reason for my A/N is to answer questions other may have forgotten to ask or didn't think of but want to know. And woah, thanks **AMBER!** Your review was...shocking! I loved it! So long and detailed...made me very happy too. Also, did you know that every review you write helps me? Weird huh, prob cuz of length and detail. I wasn't going to update til I got your review, hense the wait. You're from melbourne? Cool, i'm in qld and have a best friend in melbourne. I hoped the tony moving in with them didn't seemed rushed, glad it didn't whew. I loved the gibbs/phone part too could picture it and often re-read it hehe. In terms of home-schooled. Nathan sits at Ziva's desk and has cd's of his hebrew teacher's lessons to listen to. He does his work there while Ziva does her job (or at least tries to). Also Ziva can't teach him hebrew at home because she works so much and sending him to a actual school is also a no-go because of her protectivness. Plus he's still being 'Hunted" at the moment. You'll find out more about the kidnappers very soon, i promise!! Thanks for your review!!!!

**Warning:** this chapter contains gibbs-normalcy involving having a kinda conversation and lack of gibbs-slaps, it may frighten some fans ;)**

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Chapter eighteen: Sleepover**

After arriving at his house, Gibbs called McGee to come and pick up the letter instead. He then directed his guests to the spare room down the hall from his main bedroom but even though Nathan was clearly very sleepy, the boy simply refused to go to bed.

While Ziva was in the spare room getting the bed ready and dumping their bags in there as Nathan was not going to sleep alone, Tony was left to answer the door.

'Ah…Gibbs asked me to pick up the evidence?' McGee asked and was a little surprised to see Tony there.

'Sure McGeek' Tony said and pulled the bagged letter from his pocket.

'Is Nathan okay?' McGee asked, noticing Tony was answering the door while Gibbs was in the kitchen getting Nathan a drink and Ziva was nowhere to be seen.

'What do you think?' Tony frowned at him but then shook his head and let out a sigh.

--

Gibbs placed the empty glass on the sink and noticed Nathan's grip on his shirt. He had been following him since Ziva had told him to stay with Gibbs. Nathan followed him everywhere and would not let go of his shirt, but he had hardly said a word since leaving the Real Estate office.

Gibbs had always been good with kids, especially since Kelly so he knew exactly what to do and say to make Nathan feel a little bit better. But there was something else that was bugging him.

'I have to get something out of the basement…wanna come?' he asked casually and Nathan nodded.

--

'You build boats?' Nathan asked as he saw the unfinished boat sitting there.

'Sure do' Gibbs nodded enthusiastically and felt Nathan's grip on his shirt loosen slightly as until he finally released it to look around curiously.

Um, Agent Gibbs?' Nathan asked as he ran a hand over the boat softly.

'Yeah?' Gibbs grabbed a few things from a shelf and then turned his attention back to Nathan.

'How are you gonna get the boat out?' Nathan asked. 'It's big and your door looks smaller' Nathan looked up the stairs and over to the door that was open and he could almost make out Tony and McGee's voices.

'I do not know' Gibbs smirked but then crouched in front of Nathan so he was more at eye level with the boy. 'Nathan?' he asked calmly. 'Is there something you're not telling us?' he asked, voicing his suspicions since he had noticed the way Nathan dodged Abby's question when she tried to verify how many kidnappers there were.

Nathan bit his lip and remembered what Tony had told him how hard it was to lie to Gibbs, which was what made him a good agent but annoying boss. Nathan took a breath and nodded, looking a bit guilty.

Gibbs watched Nathan nod but the boy did not say anything else as he was clearly too scared. He didn't pressure him though as he has clearly been through enough for one night.

--

'There you are, I was wondering where you two went' Tony said as they left the basement. 'Did you see the boat?'

'Yup' Nathan nodded as Gibbs watched the pair interact with interest. 'Are you sure we're safe here?' Nathan then sniffed and Tony placed a hand on his head as he spoke.

'Sure. This house is the safest place in the world' Tony said enthusiastically and with a smile as he ruffled the kid's hair but Gibbs could see through it; Tony was as worried about Nathan as Ziva must be.

'Why?' Nathan wondered.

'Why?' Tony asked as though it was a joke. 'Have you seen Agent Gibbs? He's pretty scary to the bad guys' he said.

'It is true' Ziva said as she came into the room and held Toby bear out to Nathan. 'And it is time for bed' she told him.

'Go ahead' Tony encouraged. 'I'll be right there' he said and watched them leave before turning to talk to Gibbs.

'You need to sleep' Ziva said as she tucked Nathan into the bed, which was almost the same size as her own, just slightly smaller. 'I promise you, it is safe here and we will be with you all night plus Gibbs is just down the hall. Okay?'

'Okay' Nathan nodded. 'Mama, can Tony be my dad yet?' he wondered.

'Nathan' Ziva said, wishing he would stop asking that. 'Maybe not yet; it is still too soon, but I promise you, one day you may Tony to be your father…but not yet'

--

'He is asleep' Ziva whispered as Tony climbed into bed on Nathan's right side.

'Good, poor kid' Tony said and lay down. He looked over at Ziva and then noticed her hand rested on Nathan's chest so he reached across and gripped hers within his own before they both fell asleep, exhausted.

Gibbs passed their room on his way to bed and since the door was partially open and the moonlight was shining through the window, he could see their hand holding over Nathan and a small smile appeared on his lips as he flashed back to when Kelly had a nightmare when she had been about five or six. She was very brave so he and Shannon were not very used to having a sleeping child between them so they had held hands over her just like Tony and Ziva were now over Nathan. It gave Gibbs confidence in their relationship lasting and the chances of it breaking his team and their friendships seemed less likely. He knew Abby's tendency to play matchmaker and then the tension between Tony and Ziva was so painfully clear…but it was Nathan that finally brought the two together and their future looked rather promising at this point. Now even Gibbs hoped it was going to last.

* * *

Gibbs was in the kitchen disposing of his empty coffee mug when Tony emerged from the spare bedroom around eleven that morning.

'Abby found no fingerprints on the letter' Gibbs told him. 'And McGee got no hits on the numbers'

'Damn' Tony said and looked around, hearing the quiet of the house. 'Where are Ziva and Nathan?' he wondered, a little worried.

'Backyard' Gibbs replied and gestured Tony to follow him while Tony muttered something about not knowing that Gibbs even had a backyard.

'Wow' Tony raised his eyebrows as he watched the pair in front of him.

'A little harder' Ziva was saying as she held a punching pad in front of Nathan. Her son frowned at her and stuck his tongue out for a minute before he leaned back to kick the pad hard.

'Good boy' Ziva smiled proudly. 'Try punching it again'

'Okay!' Nathan said and started punching the pad like some mini martial arts master.

--

Ziva continued to teach her son to fight while the men watched but then Nathan got too out of breath and they decided that a break would be a good idea.

'Hey Tony' Nathan smiled at him, finally seeing him there.

'Hey' Tony smiled back. 'You're quite the fighter there kiddo'

'Thanks' Nathan gasped and leaned on his knees.

'I think I have some sodas in the fridge' Gibbs said and gestured Nathan to follow.

Once they had gone inside, Tony noticed the pointed and firm frown that Ziva was giving him.

She dumped the punching pad on the ground and walked up to him, staring right at him before lowering her gaze and speaking firmly.

'Tony' Ziva said before looking up at him again, appearing rather annoyed but also very serious. 'We need to talk. Now'

* * *

**Author's Notes: Sorry it was a bit short! But short chapters are become fewer and fewer now...so most will be a lot longer. Please review and let me know whatcha think.**

**-Mel**


	19. Are We a Family Yet?

**Author's Notes: **I was at least going to wait until tomorrow to post this chapter up but I just got home from the hospital emergency room (been there since ambulance picked me up around midday) so I needed some celebrate or rememberance...I dunno, I just felt like now was a good time to update. I'm recovering now, but those that may ask...I just had prescription meds that I turned out to serevely react to, even to a point of my condition being critical. I'm keeping A/N shorter today cuz well, like I said I'm still recovering.  
Anyhow, thanks my wonderful reviewers, **samleigh, m e wofford, cailtlin, carolinagirlfromsc, mascar chick 88** and of course**, immirose** for your reviews! I loved the hands over nathan moment too. Gibbs observing Nathan/Tony is fun to write, he doens't miss many tricks that boss-man. Spike is creepier than Eve at times, but he's my fave to write! (besides nathan etc). Glad the fic has suspense too, I love making cliffhangers (as you may have noticed by now). Ziva pregnant with a girl, who knows, actually...I do, but you dunno what I already have planned for their future, it may or may not be what you assume. **Caitlin**, what did you mean when you told me to review faster?:S. And also a massive, holy THANKS to **Amber**, because not only did you give me a gloriously long review with detail and motivation...but I actually got it just as I got home from hospital, I nice "welcoem back" think I liketo refer to it as. And yeah, I was worried about you and my friend when I heard about the fires. There is soooo much I wanna comment/reply to but that will take a whole page and yeah. So...you thought Gibbs was most in character? YAY, I was hoping so and I thoguht so but wasn't sure. The holding his shirt thing was indeed cute, he does it to Tony too but I don't think I've written it in so obviously...but he does when they sleep. I want to have small bits of the other characters at times, this one was of gibbs, glad you liked. I love that I'm improving with the character, always my fave response. And Tony's small gestures to Nathan were a little build-up for this chapter as well as future ones, you understand why later on! Haha, your conversation prediction is most interesting, of course...I won't give it away...read on.

**Also yes, anything underlined is spoken in Hebrew!** Also, because of the name of this chapter, I deticate it to Nathan David.**

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**Chapter nineteen: Are we a family yet?**

'Is something wrong?' Tony asked nervously, not liking that she had something serious to talk to him about. Was she backing out of their relationship? Did she not want him around Nathan anymore? Were they going back to Israel? Was she pregnant…? Wait no, that one was paranoia.

'I do not know' Ziva frowned. 'But I cannot keep it from you anymore in case Nathan gets to you first'

'Ziva...' Tony was confused. 'I don't…'

'Nathan wants you to be his father' Ziva told him straight out and Tony was left speechless. 'He will not stop begging me to ask you and I am running out of reasons' she took a breath before continuing. 'You do not have to say anything; I would just like you to know. But Tony…' she stood right in front of him and gave him a deadly glare. 'If Nathan does ask you…do not even think about saying yes unless you mean it' Ziva threatened. 'Saying no is worst than saying yes and then turning back on that'

Tony nodded and was glad she said he didn't have to say anything because he could not think of anything to say, nor did he think he could have said it if he did. Although he knew he'd never answer such a question from Nathan unless he meant it.

But he couldn't look at Nathan the same away after that. He was no longer just Ziva's son that he was friends with, but a boy that could one day call him his father. Tony hadn't really thought about Nathan in that way until Ziva told him. Sure he'd thought of a life with a wife and child or spending it with Ziva and Nathan…but it wasn't until Ziva told him that Tony began to imagine life with Ziva as his scary wife and Nathan as his enthusiastic son.

* * *

On the last day of Ziva's leave, the team had been allowed a few hours off work to help Ziva, Tony and Nathan move into their new house. It was a three bedroom home with one bathroom and including a double garage that Tony had requested and was also only a ten minute drive to NCIS and a fifteen minute drive to their favourite stores and a park. They were not too close to the neighbours at all and the surrounding area was good enough for if Ziva wanted to go for a run in the morning. It had a small backyard that was well fenced; the house was brick and consisted of an upstairs and downstairs. Just like Ziva's old place, the bedrooms and bathroom were upstairs while the kitchen, living room, dining area and laundry were downstairs.

After many arguments from Ziva, she allowed McGee, Tony and Gibbs to carry the heavy things like furniture inside while she and Abby settled for the other things and the unpacking.

Nathan followed Ziva inside and headed upstairs with her to peak into his new room which was beside the main bedroom and directly across from the spare room. The bathroom was alike Ziva's old place but it was on the right side instead of the left and was directly across from the main bedroom. Nathan clutched Toby bear tightly as he looked into his new room, it wasn't too big but it was rather spacey and had a window with curtains. It was empty now and looked quite daunting. He wasn't too keen on sleeping in his own bedroom at all.

'I don't want my own room' Nathan said an hour later as everyone took a break outside.

'Ah, I took care of that' Tony jumped up in perfect timing as a delivery van showed up with a mattress logo on the side. Two men got out and started moving a train-shaped bed out of the back.

'That's for me?' Nathan grinned.

'Sure is' Tony nodded, not seeing the exchanges of smiles between McGee and Abby as they could see how much he cared for Nathan.

'For me!' Nathan jumped in joy as he watched the bed being carried into the house and Abby went to show them where it went. 'For me! For me!' Nathan ran after it and McGee followed. Gibbs went to the van to pay the driver for delivery.

'How did you get the money for all this new stuff?' Ziva wondered as she approached Tony, but didn't want to wipe the proud smile off his face.

'Eh, sold some old stuff' Tony shrugged. 'But the bed was paid for by donations from NCIS…which Abby went around and demanded from each and every employee, even the janitor and the mail boy had to pay' he said.

--

'We better get back' Abby said as she and McGee said goodbye and followed Gibbs to his car.

'Thank you' Ziva smiled at everyone. 'Tony?' she asked as he hadn't moved.

'Ah, I get the day off' he replied. 'Since it's my home too and we have to get "settled" or whatever' Tony shrugged.

They walked into the house and Tony looked at their now furnished new home with a smile. He saw that Ziva wasn't taking it in and was looking around, checking everything was in place. He sighed and reached out; pulling her to him so she had her back against his chest.

'Okay, I like my room' Nathan said as he came down the stairs and stood in front of his mother, wondering what she was looking at. He turned around as she placed her hands on his shoulders, his back turned towards Ziva just as hers was to Tony.

'This is our new home, Nathan…for the three of us' she smiled as it felt like a perfect moment, something that was only happy and refreshing. But at the back of her mind she was still very cautious as these were the moments that Mossad taught her to be weary of as they rarely stayed that way for long or were true.

'I like it' Nathan nodded and spotted Toby bear on their new, larger sofa. He went over and then walked up the stairs to go put him on his new bed.

Tony took this chance to turn Ziva around so he could kiss her, something he had wanted to do all day but was not going to in front of the others, even if they knew about his and Ziva's relationship…or at least they suspected but only Gibbs knew for sure. He embraced her and she moved even closer as her arms wrapped around his neck and she deepened the kiss.

Once oxygen became necessary, they parted and she leaned against him. Even if her Mossad side was screaming with suspicion, Ziva could not help herself but be lost in the moment.

'When is Nathan's eighth birthday?' Tony then wondered, making her frown as he naturally had to go and ruin her peaceful little moment in their new home.

'A few weeks after what American's call Christmas' Ziva replied. 'Why?' she looked up at him.

'Just wondering' Tony shrugged. 'And thinking of getting him something'

'You have got Nathan enough' Ziva replied, leaning to him again. 'Any more and he will be soiled'

'Spoiled' Tony corrected. 'And you may have a point there'

'Okay…now I'm done!' Nathan walked back downstairs, not even reacting to the embrace that the pair were in. As Tony and Ziva parted and smiled at Nathan, the boy looked at them in interest and bit his lip.

'What is it Nathan?' Ziva asked, knowing that he wanted to ask something but was a bit unsure.

'I was just…' Nathan shrugged and stared at the floor a little. 'Does this make us a family? All three of us, I mean' he asked and looked up.

Ziva opened her mouth to reply but then turned to Tony, not looking very certain herself.

Tony stared at the two people in front of him and smirked his signature grin. 'I'd say we're pretty close' he replied but things felt a bit awkward and he made some muffled comment about checking his car fit perfectly in the garage and left.

'Is Tony okay?' Nathan asked, watching his sudden exit.

Ziva pulled her son into a hug and kissed atop his head while watching where Tony had left to 'Oh, do not worry…he is fine' she smiled confidently because even though she did not understand why…some part of her was confident in Tony's place within their lives now. She was still afraid and nervous about the entire ordeal, but somehow she also had faith.

--

It was later that night, only an hour before everyone was going to head off to bed. The three of them were sitting on the sofa around their new fireplace while watching the end of a movie. As the credits began to roll, Tony's cell phone rang so he walked away to answer it.

Nathan watched Tony and then looked at his mother pleadingly, causing her to sigh heavily in annoyance.

'Do not even say it' she said, getting frustrated with his constant begging for her to let him ask Tony to be his father. 'I am not going to give in simply because you ask five hundred times a day' she added and he frowned. 'Nathan' she said quietly and checked Tony was busy and out of earshot. 'It is very big question to ask someone' she explained. 'And if you don't know the person long enough, it may not be a very good idea' Ziva said as he listened and tried to find a way around what she was saying. 'Plus, Tony and I are still only dating and it is new to us…so it is not the best time. Wait until things are more…' she tried to find the words. 'Settled down'

'Okay' Nathan sighed and crossed his arms while sticking his lower lip out. 'I'll wait'

* * *

Nathan frowned and turned in the full-length child's mirror that was positioned in his bedroom. He examined his dark pants, red shirt and black long-sleeved undershirt carefully. While hadn't slept in his own bed all through the night and had woken up to crawl between Ziva and Tony, he was still determined to do everything in his room (such as dressing etc) rather than the bathroom.

Tony was in the main bedroom fixing his clothes while Ziva was in the bathroom adjusting her light make-up and hair, each were preparing for work. Nathan was of course going with them so he was trying to find a good outfit to wear. Once he was finally satisfied, he left the bedroom and went to wait downstairs while tying his shoes.

'All ready to go?' Tony asked as he came down the stairs with Ziva right behind him adjusting her hat.

'Yeah' Nathan replied while jumping off the edge of the sofa and then grabbed his schoolbag from the table.

--

They arrived at NCIS ten minutes later and Nathan was proud to show off his permanent visitor's ID card that he showed to the guard while Tony and Ziva clocked in with their employees clearance card. He then followed them to the elevator while looking around in interest.

'Morning boss' Tony said as he sat at his desk and spotted Gibbs with a fresh cup of coffee.

'Yes, morning Gibbs' Ziva smiled.

'Good morning Agent Gibbs' Nathan jumped in as well.

'Morning' Gibbs replied and then did a rethink and smiled at Nathan. 'Do you work here too?' he joked as Nathan headed to Ziva's desk, dumped his bag beside it and pressed the power button on her computer.

'Sure do, sir' Nathan grinned back while Ziva frowned.

'I do not think so' she said firmly and sat in her chair.

--

Ziva glanced away from her computer desk for a moment to watch Nathan studying his schoolwork beside her and then went back to the phone records she was reading over. Ziva frowned as he growled and tossed his pencil away.

'Stupid English' he grumbled and slammed his book shut.

'You will not learn if you do that' Ziva told him and reopened his book before retrieving his pencil.

'David!' Gibbs said as he walked into the office. 'Got those phone records yet?'

'I…yes' Ziva looked confused as she went from working with her son's schoolwork to her job. 'One moment' she looked for the papers. She also felt rather frustrated to how her son's work was putting her behind in her own work, even if she usually classed Nathan's education as being more important.

Gibbs noticed the sheet sticking out under one of Nathan's forms and grabbed it to read it. 'DiNozzo, bring Karen in' he sighed. 'Nathan, come on…you need a break'

'Yes!' Nathan jumped up but Ziva gave him a glare. 'No' he rephrased instantly and sat down quickly.

'Where are you taking him?' Ziva asked Gibbs.

'To Abby, you have hardly got any work done' Gibbs said and gestured Nathan to follow.

'Ah…' Nathan looked at his mother uncertainly.

'Go on' Ziva frowned. 'Gibbs is right'

'Yes!' Nathan said again with more enthusiasm. He ran around the desk and almost ran right into Gibbs, something Ziva had done several times in the past. 'We going to see the Goth lady, boss?' he asked innocently but Gibbs did not look overly amused.

'What?' Tony yelped as Gibbs cast a dangerous glare at him. 'What did I do?'

'Come on' Gibbs sighed at Nathan.

--

'Yeah, Gibbs?' he answered his phone just outside Abby's lab and sighed in annoyance. 'Yeah, McGee…I'll be right there' Gibbs hung up and handed a Caf-Pow! To Nathan. 'Give this to Abby and just…hang out, with her until I get back'

'Sure boss' Nathan nodded, having heard Tony say it several times to Gibbs and he liked Tony…he wanted to be like him. 'Is she going to hug me?' Nathan then remembered that Abby liked to hug people for no apparent reason.

Gibbs thought for a moment and smiled. 'Yeah' he said and left.

'Great' Nathan sighed and walked into the lab and winced a little; the music was loud. 'Abby!' he yelled loudly and kicked the side of her fridge, making as much noise as he could.

'What?' Abby jerked upright in her chair from her office and turned the music off to see him there. 'Oh hey you…is it my birthday?' she asked, seeing him standing there with a Caf-Pow!

Nathan was confused; didn't she know when her own birthday was? 'Ah Gibbs told me to give you this' he held out the drink as though it was an offering of peace.

'Thank you' Abby smiled and pondered for a moment. 'Permission to hug?' she wondered and he shrugged so she gave him a quick squeeze. 'So are you down here to keep me company?'

'I think so' Nathan nodded. 'So this is your lab?' he looked around. He'd seen it all before but it was quite a while ago and back then he had been only focused on the trauma he was still enduring from the kidnapping. So to him it as like this was his first time here.

'This is my lab' Abby grinned and nodded before taking a huge gulp of her Caf-Pow! 'How's your new house going?'

'It's cool, and Tony is living with us now so I don't have to worry about him ever leaving' Nathan grinned, climbing onto a high stool/chair beside her in the main area as he eyed the DNA scans in interest.

'You like Tony, huh?' Abby asked, even though it was more than obvious to everyone who looked at the boy when he was within ten miles of Tony.

'Yeah' Nathan nodded but his bad mood resurfaced and he frowned angrily while crossing his arms. 'I just wish Tony would hurry up and marry my mom so he can be my dad!'

For the first time ever, Abby almost choked on her Caf-Pow! Her eyes went wide in surprise as she stared at Nathan, letting his words ring through her mind. Had she just heard that? Abby just sat there wide-eyed; truly and utterly stunned…

* * *

**Author's Notes: hahaha, I just love the ending, cuz I can picture that look so clearly. What did you think? Please review and let me know whatcha think, it'll make my recovery happier too! Please review!**


	20. Snowy December

**Author's notes:** Hey! Sorry for the loooong delay but I had to go down to stay with mum and family to recover and the computers there were having problems and I could not get any of my fanfics to work, I could write new ones but make no progress on old ones. But my main issue (as I found ways around the other) is that I was 100% unable to submit any of the stuff to this site in order to update due to the stupid program disabling it and making it too encrypted for others to read. But back home now for 2 weeks but will save all my fics in a way that other programs can read it so will be able to update even after I leave here. Even though I have no control, I will still update again sometime around tomorrow to Sunday, but sunday at the latest!

Thanks to all my reviewers once again! **M E wofford, violinmemories **(Glad you like that thinks are going slow, thanks for the well-wishing)**, NCISislikecupcakes, museurania** (haha, and yes sorry..stupid words)**, alterangirl, ziva4tony** (Many have asked about Nathan's dad, it has been stated briefly that he is dead but the readers do not know anything else just yet...but it's coming around soon, the timing has to be right)**, carolinagirlfromsc **and my new reviewer, **alice** (tiva babies lol, perhaps...one day. In terms of Jenny/Vance I have figured it out finally. It should be stated soon but Jenny was injured -as oposed to killing her- and is on leave while Vance is in charge. I plan to have her back soon enough though, hope everyone likes it). A huge thanks to my main reviewers: **immirose **(Heh I made the bed a train not a car because of Nathan's love for them, otherwise it prob would have been a car, guess which type?;). I'm glad the characters are great, makes me very happy and proud) and and wonderful **amber-chick!** (omg I loved your long review! Almost fell over at the glorious sight of it and re-read it like 5 times before letting it sink in! THANKS! I don't know what the poly-thingies are so moving on. Haha I loved that line too, Tony was irrational and fear overtook all. Your opinions on the conversation were great to read, as I had re-written several parts of it a few times before I was sure I did it right. They are becoming a bit of a official family (hense that chapter name) so yeh. Christmas is coming up but remember, Ziva is Jewish and so is Nathan...they won't be celebrating Christmas the traditional way. Nathan adores Tony and is really starting to look up to him, which may bring nightmares for both Gibbs and Ziva soon enough lol. You want more Tony-Nathan hugs? Hm, I'm sure that can be arranged! The loved the end too :). Thanks for the review, well-wishing and advice, greatly apriciated. I will PM you if I ned anything! :)**Now on with the chapter! Enjoy!!**

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* * *

****Chapter Twenty: Snowy December**

It was a few days later when Nathan was once again sitting at Ziva's desk trying to do his schoolwork. He was a bit behind most students his age and with two languages to learn it was rather difficult. But he was a fast learner and would often ask Gibbs for some help since Nathan had been told by the boss that he wasn't allow to "_harass_" his employees with third grade math or literature.

'I can't believe it's almost Christmas already' McGee sighed as they worked on the paperwork for their case. He and Tony then started discussing things they did at this time of year and made the mistake of asking Ziva what she thought of mistletoe while she was trying to help Nathan with his Hebrew spelling.

'I do not care' she snapped at them. 'We are Jewish'

'True, we don't have Christmas' Nathan added and bit on the end of his pencil as he studied the words. 'Oh, I get it!' he grinned and Ziva nodded, going back to her own work.

Several minutes later as Nathan glanced up from his work; he noticed something outside the window and jumped off his seat. He ran to the window and grinned, turning around to point.

'Mama! Snow! It's snowing!' Nathan told her.

Tony raised an eyebrow at Ziva when her face softened at the sight of snow and Nathan's joy towards to it. She then smiled a little and nodded.

'Yes' Ziva said. 'We do not get snow in Israel' she replied, which was the reason she found snow so fascinating and sometimes delightful. She had never seen it before she came to America.

Nathan pressed his hands against the window and wanted to touch the cold snow but could not. He considered asking his mother if they could go outside but instead he glanced over at Gibbs, since he was the boss.

'Sir, can mama take me to touch the snow?' he asked as calmly and respectfully as he could but then it began to snow a little harder and Nathan was getting anxious. 'Please, Agent Gibbs? Please?'

Ziva snuck a glance at Gibbs also and the Marine almost laughed at the look on her face. Since Nathan had come back to her, Ziva seemed less guarded about showing emotions as she did not want Nathan to grow up the same way she had and was trying to set a good example. But Gibbs also suspected that the pain of losing Nathan had triggered something inside her that made her more shut off towards emotions; something he had done when he'd lost his own family. Gibbs looked at the young boy staring at him so filled with hope and innocence.

'One hour' he replied and Nathan jumped in joy. Tony laughed as Nathan ran to Ziva and actually caught her off guard as he gripped her hand and dragged her out of the room hurriedly.

'Don't even think about it, DiNozzo' Gibbs added as Tony made a move to get up as well. He didn't need to look up to know that Tony was now sulking in his chair. Gibbs always had a soft spot for the woman on his team; Abby, Kate and now Ziva…they were like daughters to him in many ways…although Abby more than the others as she was simply so child-like. He wouldn't say that they were his replacement for Kelly but they certainly helped him to handle it a bit better than he used to. He also had a bond with Nathan because he was the child that his parent lost. But Ziva had got her child back; a luxury Gibbs did not have, but he was so thankful that Nathan had found his way back to Ziva. And now the boy had become a part of their NCIS family.

As Ziva and Nathan continued to play outside in the snow, Gibbs mused some more and flashed back to some touching moments around this time of year with Kelly. It was only minutes later that Abby walked into the office, bringing all the happy thoughts from everyone with the serious and troubled look on her face as she held some papers in a nervous grip.

'I don't like that look, Abs' Gibbs sighed.

Abby didn't say anything for a moment and glanced towards the window where Nathan was seen making snowballs while Ziva was laughing at something.

'Remember when Nathan helped me with those sketches?' she asked, turning back to face Gibbs. McGee and Tony also had all their attention directed at Abby.

'You got a hit?' Gibbs wondered.

'Yeah' Abby sighed, not looking very proud or excited about her discovery. Her tone was also slightly flat and everyone knew it wasn't going to be good news if it pulled Abby's mood down this low 'I ran them through every database, facial recognition and program that I could think of, and…I got three hits. On Bruce, Kenny and Jack…but there's nothing on Spike yet'

'There's more than four kidnappers' Gibbs said, telling her what his gut had told him right from the beginning and what Nathan's secretiveness practically confirmed. 'There is a fifth person he's not telling us about'

'What, you think Nathan's lying?' Tony jumped in, even surprising himself at how quick he was to defend Nathan. He was getting ready to say more and Gibbs was preparing to scowl at him for it but Abby cut in, unnaturally stressed.

'Okay Tony, this is no time to play "daddy" alright?' she frowned. 'These guys mean business'

'What did you find out?' McGee wondered what the other two were thinking but didn't really want to have answered.

'Bruce is really Bailey Stile and he was arrested ten years ago for assault, resisting arrest, kidnapping and was suspected for three murders. He has also been in Israel at least eight times in the last five years of Nathan and Ziva's separation' Abby told them, summing it up. 'Kenny and Jack are actually Ken and Jacob Mather. This is not good Gibbs; they're wanted for assault, murder and…terrorism. Big stuff: bombs, snipers, hijacking military-grade missiles…you name it' Abby sighed. 'Jack has been in Israel around the same times as Bruce, but Kenny has dozens of records for visiting Israel, Iraq, and Afghanistan…' she paused and looked over at the window again. 'What do they want with Nathan?' Abby asked, her face going from serious to sad and confused. 'He's just a kid, Gibbs!'

'Maybe it's something to do with Ziva' Gibbs sighed and got up, making his way around his desk to where Abby was standing with her results. 'Thanks Abs' he kissed her cheek and then headed up to MTAC.

* * *

A few days later, the NCIS office was quiet and rather empty as the team had been given a few hours off in the morning to go out and buy gifts since Christmas was only a few days away. But while they did that, Ziva was emailing at her computer while trying to sneak glances at Nathan's birthday wish list. It was an idea he'd come up with a week or two ago; that since he was turning eight and they had five years of birthdays he had missed out on, he was writing a list of the eight things he wanted the most for his birthday. And he was going to make sure he came up with exactly eight things, although Ziva reminded him constantly that there was to be no pets on that list or anything involving his question for Tony.

While everyone was flustered and getting into the festive spirit, Nathan and Ziva just let the days pass by casually and calmly until Christmas Eve came around. That very night, Ziva and Nathan were putting the clean dishes away while Tony paced back and forth, trying to make a decision.

'Tony!' Ziva growled, getting more annoyed with him by the second. 'It is a simple Christmas work party and you want to go…so go, we will be fine'

'It doesn't feel right' Tony frowned. 'It's Christmas, I'm not going to just ditch you to spend a night with people I see everyday'

'We do not celebrate Christmas' Ziva reminded him. 'It is just any other night to us'

'But there is snow' Nathan added with a grin. 'Snow and sparkly lights'

'I'm not going' Tony said.

'I do not believe you' Ziva crossed her arms as he'd said that many times before changing his mind again.

'Tony, go to the party' Nathan shrugged. 'You like Christmas'

Tony frowned and sighed heavily. 'Fine' he said and headed upstairs to change.

--

After Tony had left (and after Ziva stared him up and down in his nice clothes) Nathan and Ziva sat on the sofa with some hot chocolate and talked about Nathan's birthday plans and various other things. It really felt like any other night to them but more relaxing and enjoyable. They liked it, everything was great. It was the first time in a long time if not ever, that the pair could just sit there like any normal family and without having to worry about anything. No stress, no fear…just calm. Even though in Tony's absence Ziva was more alert, but it was an instinct thing not a pressuring thing. It was a nice change.

Meanwhile, while Tony had been enjoying himself at the party surrounded by his festive co-workers and friends, his extended family, it still did not feel right to be there without Ziva and Nathan around. It wasn't until the third hour in that his closest friends began to notice that Tony was becoming more distant and less joyous.

'Hey' Abby said as she and McGee approached where he was standing over by the large buffet table but he wasn't eating.

'Hey' Tony replied. 'Great party'

'Yeah?' McGee asked with a raised eyebrow. 'You don't too thrilled'

'He misses Ziva' Abby smirked. 'And Nathan'

'I can be away from them for one night; Abs' Tony frowned at her, feeling a bit pathetic that he did feel that they should be here with him.

'Yeah, but it's Christmas' Abby reminded him while McGee walked over to talk to Ducky and Gibbs.

'They're Jewish' Tony reminded her. 'It's not that big a deal to them'

'You still miss them' Abby continued to smirk. 'You'd rather be there than here' she nodded.

'Now that…that is crazy' Tony gave a laugh but Abby saw right through it and looked quite proud of herself. 'I can't just leave' he added, knowing he was busted.

'Why not?' Abby asked, shrugging as she fixed the flashing antler headband she had on her head. 'Gibbs has been trying to make people leave all night'.

Tony glanced over at his boss and noticed the less-than-happy look on his face but he did seem to be enjoying the food.

'If you would rather be with Ziva and Nathan on Christmas…' Abby said. 'Then go home' she shrugged like it was no big deal. But maybe it wasn't?

* * *

Ziva grabbed the TV remote and muted it as she looked quickly over to the front door but was surprised to find Tony coming inside. She glanced at her clock and wondered why he was home early.

Tony hung up his jackets and relocked the front door before taking in the view. Ziva was sitting on the couch all curled up in a rug while watching TV and Nathan was no where in sight.

'Is Nathan in bed already?' Tony wondered.

'Yes, he is upstairs asleep in his own bed…but he will not stay there and in a few hours he will be in our bed' Ziva replied. 'You are back early'

'Yeah, it wasn't that exciting' he said with a shrug but saw the piercing look he was getting and knew Ziva could see right through him, even more than Abby had. 'And you weren't there' he added in admittance.

Ziva smiled at his reply and un-muted the TV again as Tony came to join her on the couch. She gave him half of her rug and he draped one arm around her shoulders as she leaned closer. They sat like that for ages, just cuddled up on the couch to watch the rest of the movie.

--

It wasn't until the credits rolled that Ziva noticed Tony had fallen asleep. She cautiously removed her half of the rug and stood up. She debated for a moment of just leaving there but Nathan would notice Tony's absence when he crawled into their bed, even if he was usually half asleep. Ziva just stood there and admired Tony for a moment, seeing how calm and rather cute he looked when he was sleeping and how his brown hair fallen a little over his face.

Ziva gently woke him and pulled him to his feet, ignoring his complaints and the way he stubbornly insisted he hadn't been asleep. She wrapped an arm around him as she steered him upstairs and wondered what they'd done at the party that had him so worn out, but then again they'd worked overtime today and it was a rather busy case.

Ziva removed his shoes and various other things he didn't like to sleep in before she helped him into bed. Once he was under the covers she prepared for bed herself and liked how natural they were. One month ago she would never have done this, she'd have kicked him awake and demanded he sleep in a bed and not passed out on her sofa. But a lot had happened in a month and sometimes she wondered if this was what it felt like to be married? It was nice, and the connection between herself and Tony was unlike anything she's experienced with any other man in her life or really with anyone at all. Apart from Nathan but that was a special connection nothing could compare to: the love between a mother and child.

Ziva yawned and climbed into bed beside Tony, frowning a little as he seemed more awake than he'd let on. He leaned over and kissed her on the lips passionately but quickly before rolling over and going back to sleep. She lay awake with a small smile but it soon faded while she stared at the dark ceiling and sighed.

As predicted, a few minutes later the bedroom door opened slightly and Nathan blindly walked over to the end of the bed and crawled on, heading to the top and sleepily climbed under the blankets between her and Tony before going back to sleep right away. Tony no longer awoke to Nathan's movements as he too was used to it. And now Ziva could sleep, which the moment she closed her eyes…sleep overcame her.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Well, whatcha think? :) I will update again asap, please review...I know it's been awhile so I hope I haven't lost anyones interest. Anyways...review and send me your thoughts etc, they motivate me and make me happy!**

**-Mel**


	21. Nathan's Day at the Office

**Author's notes:** Thanks to my reviewers: **mwah47, M E Wofford, NCISislikecupcakes, losingtrack, carolinagirlfromsc, mia58, musicalsweettie89 and laurence0311**. It was great to hear from you all. You will find out the "hold" Eve has on Nathan soon. The Tiva parts can't speed up just yet but a few chapters from now there is a lot more so hang in there! I'm glad you're happy about Tony/Daddy and Tiva/married sort of relationships that are developing and everyones detication to reading, I hope you all got some sleep after! And a huge thanks to new reviewer **ginnypotterthe7th** and my usual greats **immirose **and **amber-chic **(I was worried I'd have to update without hearing from you Amber, today is my lucky day as well as yours). I love that this fic is reffered to as "different". And yes I'm an aussie from Queensland, and obsessivly loving it. I'm glad you love the way the characters are going and being in-character, yay. And Nathan does have alot of innocence still and I used the snow to bring it out more and to indicate thatZiva is a little different when with her son. Amber I wish I could spend a whole page on answering your review, it was so great and helpful too. congrats on getting 91 on the test! Ziva is working overtime with being a mother and working, which will takes its strain if she's not careful. Yes, in fact there are more Gibbs/Nathan parts later on so hang around for them. I know a lot of you are anxious about the kidnappers but since it is such a huge/main plot for the time being I can't give it all out at once but some more important clues are being thrown around and soon you will find out a lot about each of them and of course "that woman" Eve :). I forgot about Hanukkah but Nathan is spoilt enough heh and his birthday is coming up so yeh. Tony is really falling into the family life, hey? And Ziva probably won't cave to the "daddy" question anytime soon, but Nathan is a David child...

Anyway here is the next chapter. More Nathan stuff, enjoy! Remember all underlined is in Hebrew.

* * *

**Chapter twenty-one:** **Nathan's day at the office**

'Are you sure they haven't mentioned anything else?' Abby asked over the phone in her lab early morning, a few weeks later.

'Yes Abs' McGee sighed. 'I'm sure, we have no new leads or information…but you'd know if we did'.

'Poor kid, I just want to get those…'

McGee raised his eyebrows as Abby cursed and swore in very creative sentences about Nathan's kidnappers while he finished typing an email to his sister Sarah. Work had been slow the last few days and besides, Tony and the others weren't even in yet. McGee continued to talk to Abby but then heard the elevator and Ziva's voice arguing about something.

'Gotta go Abs' McGee said quickly and hung up but was thankful that Tony hadn't noticed him as Ziva's annoyance was obviously a direct result of something he had done. McGee watched in interest as the pair quickly switched into work-mode the moment they sat down at their desks and booted up their computers to check emails. Nathan was already setting up his school things to get to "work" also. It was quite amusing how Nathan so naturally seemed like another employee, except that he was a child.

But hardly a few minutes after their arrival, Gibbs walked in and announced that they had a case and the adults quickly gathered their things. Ziva kissed Nathan's forehead goodbye and followed her co-workers to the elevator, knowing confidently that Nathan was safe on his own within NCIS Headquarters and her son knew the rules she'd given him.

Nathan sighed and scratched his head before leaning back over his schoolwork at Ziva's desk and grabbed his pencil.

--

Two hours passed him by as Nathan worked on both his Hebrew and English but he was no longer behind the other students his age and had a good idea on how to figure out his math puzzles and spelling. But once he noticed the time on Ziva's computer, he decided that he was due to take a break.

At first Nathan used Ziva's computer to look up trains and several other things that were of interest to him before he became more curious and looked up schools in the area, scrolling through the pictures and descriptions. The children looked happy and were all dressed in uniforms. Nathan daydreamed for some time, wondering what it would be like to be dressed in an identical uniform with a group of others like the military did and then he thought of sitting in the classrooms with a teacher that he could see and ask direct questions to. Nathan then spotted pictures of the playground and for a moment, he wished he could go to school…just to see what it would be like.

'Hey, are you hungry?' Abby's voice broke him from his daydream, even long after he'd turned the computer off.

'Yeah' Nathan noticed, sitting upright in his chair.

'Good because it's lunch time' Abby said with a grin, her hands filled with take-away bags and drinks.

'Already?' Nathan was surprised how much time his daydreaming had passed, but the team still weren't back yet.

'Sure is' Abby smiled and sat with him as they ate their lunch and spoke about a few random things, including Abby trying to pry some information about Tony and Ziva as a couple but Nathan didn't give her enough to work with. She knew Nathan was down in the office by himself and thought he was lonely as he worked but as it turned out, he seemed completely fine with it.

* * *

'Are you sure you don't want to come sit with me while you work?' Abby asked for the third time once they were finished eating and she knew that she had to get back to her lab.

'I'm sure' Nathan insisted. 'Really, I'm fine. But thanks'.

'Okay tough guy' Abby ruffled his hair.

'Tony calls me that' Nathan realized. Tony also ruffled his hair a lot but a lot of people did that, he wasn't sure why. The "tough guy" comment though usually only came from Tony. 'It's not a bad thing, right?'

'Not at all' Abby said and then waved as she left.

Nathan watched her leave and sighed, why weren't they back yet? It was either a big crime scene or they had other tasks to complete. Or maybe it was more out of town? Whatever the reason…Nathan was getting a bit bored. He left the desk and decided his curious nature simply was not going to rest and he wondered around the office. He felt a bit guilty but boredom and curiosity won over and he did some snooping. Starting with Gibbs's desk, Nathan found a photo of a redhead woman with a young girl about his age and wondered who they were. The young girl was pretty and had a big smile on her face, but the photo looked old and had been deeply buried in Gibbs's desk. Nathan stared at it for a while but then put it back and wandered over to McGee's desk. There wasn't anything interesting in his desk apart from a book called "Deep Six". Nathan traced his hands over the letters and glanced over at Tony's desk before replacing the book.

Tony's desk was much more interesting. There were several things in his desk to play with or examine but Nathan wasn't sure if he should feel more or less guilty about going through Tony's desk, until he found a magazine with a woman on the front. She was wearing only a swimsuit and the bold letters "GSM" read over her head. Nathan wondered what it was about and flipped through the pages but pulled a face and seemed rather shocked to the lack of clothing on the woman and shut it. He shoved it back deep under all the things in Tony's desk before slamming the drawer shut, wondering why Tony had such a weird magazine so deeply buried in his desk. But then again, maybe he had forgotten it was there since it was rather hidden.

Nathan let out a sigh again as he made his way back to Ziva's desk and knew better than to even dare to touch her things as she was sure to know. He'd tried that once and it did not end too well. Nathan ran a hand through his hair and turned all his concentration and focus back on his schoolwork. But after another minute or two his mind went into a state of daydream and he flashed back to when Ari had come by to see him all those years ago and had given him his pencils…

--

'_I brought these from Israel'__ Ari smiled as he handed the pencil box to him. '__It's a little piece of home'._

'_Uncle Ari, please...I wanna go home'__ Nathan sobbed, wrapping his arms around Ari's neck tightly. __'Save me, please!'_

'_Don't even think about it' Eve threatened and both boys froze as she held a very dangerous gun to Ari's skull. Nathan quickly let go and backed away in pure fear._

_Ari however...didn't even flinch. Yes he'd frozen on the spot but only to assure her he wasn't going to move. 'Nathan' Ari spoke calmly and even though he looked very annoyed with Eve, his only focus was on his nephew. 'You need to stay here a little while longer; can you do that, tough guy?'_

'_No' Nathan shook his head fearfully, letting his tears fall._

'_Trust me; you will not be here forever. But you need to be brave, okay?' Ari asked and Eve lowered her gun but still gripped it tightly. 'Nothing will happen to you, they are not allowed to kill you or hurt you more than you can handle' _

_Nathan nodded while trembling but there was just something about his uncle's tone that told him he was serious, but his expression held something else...mystery. Nathan knew his mother got that look when she was planning something...usually payback. That look caused a small smile to appear on Nathan's face and he wiped his eyes. He understood now._

'_Good boy' Ari whispered and smirked. He then turned to Eve and they walked out the room but Nathan could still hear them as he gripped his pencil box firmly as they were the most precious things to him now._

'_Real smooth'__ Eve was telling him in a sarcastic tone. '__What are you going to do now? Tell Ziva that you found us but could not save him, because you won't fight me?'_

'_No'__ Ari said simply. '__If killing you would save that boy I would do it without hesitation'__ he spoke rather coldly but calmly, making Eve gasp slightly in shock to his honesty. __'But I know that if you were killed like you should be, someone else would simply replace you. __What is that American saying? Ah yes…better the enemy you know than one you do not'._

'_You don't mean that' Eve replied but somehow she sounded more hopeful than sure. __'I am not your enemy'._

'_From the moment you took that boy that from Ziva...you disgust me' Ari frowned at her and then left._

_Nathan jumped as the door opened and Eve stood there, her face looking dark and even a bit upset, but he felt nothing for her...she was some evil witch that won't let him go home or let his uncle save him._

'_Please don't hurt me!' Nathan pleaded as she reached out to him but he froze in shock as she instead ran a hand over his head, brushing some hair from his face._

'_Ari is right, you have to be brave'__ she told him and then walked out of the room, leaving Nathan there shocked and more worried than he was before…_

* * *

The team finally came back from their crime scene which was rather messy and out of town, plus it had drawn a crowd which meant a lot of possible witnesses and all had to be interviewed. They walked in just as Nathan was checking over his work with a focused but rather proud look.

'Everything okay?' Ziva asked, kissing atop his head as she sat down, hoping he's had somewhat of a better day than they had.

'Yeah' Nathan nodded. 'I'm done' he grinned. 'Was it a big crime scene?' he then wondered about their case while Ziva dug through her drawer for something.

'Sure was' Tony replied when Ziva didn't. 'But it was a bit boring, had a lot of people to ask questions'

'Did you throw the bad person in jail?' Nathan wondered, looking over at Gibbs which made the boss laugh.

'Not yet' Gibbs replied with a smirk and walked up to the desk. 'But we will' he nodded before ruffling Nathan's hair and walking towards the plasma, demanding pictures from McGee.

'Here you go' Ziva said, handing her iPod to Nathan. 'Do not look at the screen' she added, pointing to the blank plasma. He knew what it was for and placed it into his ears and listened to the songs on there.

'Okay' Gibbs said as Ziva and Tony approached the plasma as well and McGee brought up the photos of the crime scene.

--

After a while, Nathan sneaked a glance at the screen where a picture of a bloody wall was seen. He removed an earpiece to listen to what they were saying.

'I don't, DiNozzo!' Gibbs was saying. 'This bastard has already killed three people! I want him in here'.

Nathan flinched at the word "_killed_" but nobody noticed as they were all watching the plasma. He gulped and another flashback overcame him…

--

'_I've got you now, boy' the man grinned as he__ pushed some bushes away and pointed his gun at Nathan. 'You think you could escape me?' he laughed as Nathan walked backwards in fear, too lost and worn out to continue running away from the unfamiliar but clearly dangerous man._

'_You're mine!' he yelled and raised the gun but something kicked in within Nathan and he ran forward, gripping the gun with all his might and turning it away from his head. He wasn't too clear on what happened next but somehow with his kicking and struggling; he'd managed to get the gun. Seeing the man doubled in pain, clutching a particularly sensitive part as he glared at Nathan._

'_That's it…you're dead!' he screamed but Nathan's fingers acted out of instinct and self defense as the gunshot went off, sending Nathan backwards onto the ground._

_Nathan sat on the ground, his face dirty and his hair messy as he breathed heavily, staring straight ahead as his hands gripped tightly around an aimed gun. The man lay on the ground…bleeding._

--

Nathan shook his memory of killing that man right as his mother had shown up to save him. For some unknown reason, it was linked to his recent memory of Ari's visit; a part he had forgotten all this time, until now, as a new part of the earlier flashback resurfaced in his mind…

--

'_Shut up!'__ Eve yelled into her phone, a call that had interrupted her conversation before Ari had given Nathan the pencils. He'd shown up, made his presence known but then went outside the room to talk to Eve before he comforted Nathan. _

_After Eve had hung up rather abruptly, Ari raised and eyebrow at her and thought for a moment while he examined her stressed expression. _

'_What?' she asked, and her tone did not sounded angry or as stressed as she was, but merely curious, something that was strange to Nathan because she had only ever said "what?" in an angry tone, but for some reason saying it to Ari was different._

'_Do they know?' Ari wondered as he stared straight at her, his expression was serious and guarded but his tone was not._

'_No' Eve lowered her gaze and stared at the filthy floor beneath their feet, finding herself unable to stare back at him. 'No Ari, Mossad does not know that I am out of the country'._

'_They will' Ari replied with a small smirk. 'You give them less credit than I do'._

--

Nathan swallowed hard and his thoughts came back to the present, as he watched the group discussing the case, their voices had been out of focus until now.

'That is not true' Ziva was saying firmly as she zoomed in on a second of a photo. 'I will find him, in Mossad we are trained in tracking and-'

'Mossad' Nathan's gasp brought everyone's attention to him and suddenly his mind clicked: Ziva was Mossad...Eve was Mossad...he wasn't safe. If Eve knew all the things that Ziva did because they were both trained under Mossad, then there was no guarantee of protection. He wasn't safe...he'd never be safe!

--

'_You're not trying to drown him, are you?' Spike asked as Eve was punishing Nathan for writing his name on the park bench by shoving him in the fountain face-first._

'_No' Eve frowned at him. 'What did I tell you about me and Officer David?' she asked him._

'_That you know all her secrets?' Spike scratched his head._

'_No' Eve said, shoving Nathan's head into the water again. But Nathan had sensed it coming and held his breath but soon ran out of oxygen and couldn't breathe but was pulled up just in time._

'_Oh, right…that you know everything she does?' Spike finally remembered. _

'_Exactly. I know the tricks and facts of coercion so I know how long to keep him under…' Eve was saying but Nathan was thrust under again…_

--

'She'll get me!' Nathan realized. 'Eve will find me, she knows everything!' he started crying hysterically and Ziva rushed to his side in pure mother-frenzy while the boys watched in surprise and some concern.

'Who's Eve?' McGee asked Gibbs while Tony also walked towards Nathan as the boy was utterly terrified.

'I don't know' Gibbs's eyes narrowed but kept their gaze locked on the boy.

'Maybe...you know? It could be the fifth kidnapper' McGee shrugged and expected a glare from his boss but instead Gibbs just turned to look at him with a small expression of worry before looking back over at Nathan without saying a word.

'Eve is going to find me!' Nathan cried. 'I know she will! I just know it!'

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Dun Dun Dun! Yes, Eve has Mossad training and now the team know of her existance...what will this lead to? To find out, please review with your thoughts, questions etc, to motivate my faster updating.

-Mel


	22. Don't Shut Me Out

**Author's Notes:** I usually wait for my best and most deticated reviewer **amber-chick** to review before I post up another chapter but tomorrow I will be at the cinemas all day and friday I am shopping all day until I go home on saturday (3-hour+ drive) so I either post today or Sunday and I figured today would be better since I got 10 reviews and all :). Thanks to all of you; **mia58** (Ziva does not know who Eve is...yet. As for if Mossad is connected to the kidnapping I wouldn't say so. I mean a few Officers like Ziva, Ari etc are connceted but Mossad as a whole is not), **ginnypotterthe7th** (Poor kid indeed, it just doens't seem to end for him and now that he let slip...), **carolinagirlfromsc** (Ari is a bad guy and I do want people to understand that just because he cared somewhat for Ziva and Nathan does not change what he did afterwards. Don't like him, but if anything one could say he was nicer before he joined Hamas. As in he was okay in the past but then changed his ways and is a pure bad guy. Nathan doesn't know what Ari did, which is why you're seeing him in nicer light because it's what Nathan thinks of his uncle), **NCISislikecupcakes**, (Haha, you hate Eve that much? Well if Ari had killed her we wouldn't have her in the story! I for one love writing her :P), **M E wofford**, (Another Eve-hater lol. Yeah there was more info on Nathan's captivity but more to come, it was 5 years afterall and so far there has only been a few snippets. The team may know Eve's name but that does not mean they will be finding her anytime soon as she's got Ziva's training so she won't be easy, although she never knew Nathan would ever let slip), **debook210** (Always nice to have new reviewers! I'm glad the story has good flow, I do plan hting sout in advance like now I am up to planning chapter 39+. Thankyou for your comments, very happy to hear them. I am taking the Tiva slow because you're right as it gives it a more realistic feel), **f*ck this shit** (You will get more, glad you like the story!), and **shella-bella** (The "family" is getting stronger, and you wil find the connections between Eve and the Davids, I'm looking forward to revealing it. Ziva knows Ari found Nathan but left, she wasn't happy but had forced herself to not think about it so she hasn't actually brought it back up in her mind yet. Just on a note though, Ari did not choose to leave, he actually did have to. Although he never told Ziva...).

And a huge thanks to **immirose** (Yeah Nathan as "another employee" is fun to write and will continue. He does want to try school but I doubt he would be keen for it to be a continuous thing. Abby always tries! She wouldn't be Abby if she didn't try to pry information about the couple lol. And she hasn't given up just yet. Eve and Ari's "connection" as you phrased it is one of the more important facts in the story and plot so that will gradually be revealed soon enough) and **leobold1** (great review!! And your comments on my writing and characterization made me very proud and honored, also motivated to write more, thanks. I do not think Ziva is too OOC but since it is a situation not seen on the show I guess in a way it is. Glad to have my readers stumped! Lol, but there would be no fun if it was predicatable or if you got all answers in one chapter, would there? I can ensure you that I do not give out major answers in my author's notes or anything to ruin something in the story, only clues and hints but nothing too leading just gets people thinking etc. Your questions are very intriguing indeed and some will be answered quite soon actually. But thanks a lot for them cuz it'll help me when I write more, making sure I answer them at some point). Still missing **amber-chick**'s wonderfully helpful review/s but y'all were great and here is the next chapter!! Also mild swearing, hardly noticeable.**

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Chapter twenty-two: Don't shut me out

'No!' Nathan was yelling and pushing his mother away while keeping his eyes shut; his fear of eve making him hysterical and he felt very unsafe. 'She'll get me…I'll be kidnapped again!' he yelled loudly until Ziva let him go and took a breath, calming herself before trying to calm him.

'Nathan!' she snapped loudly, making everyone jump, including her son. But it brought him back to his senses and he opened his eyes, hardly two seconds later he realized his mistake and covered his mouth with his hands. 'Oh no you don't' Ziva said. 'Who is Eve?'

'I didn't say anything' Nathan lied but knew he had thought aloud and no one was going to believe him.

'You know you did' Ziva's eye's narrowed while Tony approached closer and stared at the boy, wondering why he was so scared of whoever Eve was.

'Nathan, you need to tell us' Gibbs stepped forward as well, now sure that Eve was very important to what had happened to him and his safety.

'No!' Nathan yelled, tears sliding down his cheeks in fear as he flashed back to all the times Eve had proven she wasn't someone to mess with and that she could do serious damage. He was already in big trouble for saying her name, he felt done for already.

'I shouldn't have said anything!' Nathan said hysterically and covered his face with his hands. 'Now she's going to kill me!' he sobbed against Ziva, reaching for her again.

Gibbs sighed and felt a headache coming on as McGee tried to offer assurance and Tony tried to comfort Nathan while Ziva pried for more information. Soon everyone was yelling and talking at once and there was no way they would get anywhere with this. They were just worried about Eve and Nathan, but Gibbs had had enough.

'HEY!' he yelled loudly and in an instant everyone went silent before turning their attention to where he was standing behind them with a look of annoyance and disbelief to how everyone handled the situation.

--

But while Gibbs restored order and sense, the very cause of all the chaos was casually talking on her phone while sitting in a chair in her motel room.

'Yes, thank you' Eve nodded and hung up, sighing as there was a knock at the door. 'What?' she snarled as Bruce and Spike stood there and she had been just about to go for a shower after a long day of planting another bomb.

'Jack got himself caught' Bruce growled, looking tense as Spike nervously looked around their surroundings. 'And Kenny did a runner'.

'What?!' Eve gasped angrily in shock and disbelief. 'How? Those idiots!'

'We'll explain on the way…we gotta get out of here' Bruce said, rubbing some blood off the cut above his eyebrow and Spike glanced around again.

'Pack your crap' Eve nodded and Bruce rushed to the room beside hers. 'Spike?'

'Yeah?' he turned back to her, looking surprised to be spoken to.

'Stop looking around like some amateur criminal, you're making me nervous' she said and went back to her room to hastily pack.

--

Bruce was driving a 4WD that they'd stolen from the parking lot of their motel while Eve sat fuming beside Spike in the backseat. She normally took the passenger seat but neither men knew why she decided to sit in the backseat, it was very odd on her behalf. Spike and Bruce were also smart enough to know that asking her anything or even saying a single word to her was not advisable when she was in such a state of fury and annoyance.

'This is far enough' Eve stated after five minutes and they quickly got out, taking their bags with them as they stealthily made their way towards an old gas station. They reached the closed store with a car parked out the front and just their luck, the keys were inside and no people were around.

While Bruce worked on breaking in, Eve paced back and forth in worry while Spike nibbled on a banana and watched her in interest. Eve first wondered where they were going to find their new place to hideout and then switched to worry about more important things, muttering quickly in Hebrew the entire time. She then froze and gasped as she remembered something about John Mohamed.

'Jeez, don't do that' Bruce grumbled when Eve had gasped loudly.

'Where are you going?' Spike wondered as Eve started walking away.

'I need to make a call' Eve replied and pulled out her cell phone as fast as she could, making both boys glance at her in concern.

* * *

Because Nathan had put himself in a state of utter silence all day, Ziva and Tony were ordered to take him home after Gibbs had calmed everyone down. But still, Nathan just refused to talk; not uttering a single word.

'Nathan…' Ziva sighed, trying once again to get him to talk as he sat cross-armed on the couch, avoiding looking at either Tony or his mother.

'Maybe we should just leave him for a bit?' Tony suggested but Ziva ignored him and tried to talk to Nathan again. But once Tony offered some more advice, she again didn't listen as she was more worried about Nathan and seemed to have blocked Tony out altogether. He felt rather left out but Tony was unable to get through to her or think of any way to help Nathan so he sighed heavily and decided to head upstairs for a shower.

'Okay, how about you just watch a movie and we will talk about this later?' Ziva finally admitted defeat a little while later. She felt a bit relieved as Nathan glanced at her for a fraction of a second and then nodded his head, unfolding his arms. She turned the TV on to a kid's movie and stood up, leaving her son be but then she noticed the absence of Tony and scowled. Ziva knew Tony had driven them home and helped out a little but then he just left? Ziva started to get mad at him; didn't he care? Was this just another one of Nathan's upset breakdowns to him?

Ziva walked angrily up the stairs in search of him but then spotted him just staring at his reflection as he leaning on the sink in the bathroom. Ziva's anger faded as she saw the mad but also defeated look upon his face. He raised an eyebrow and relaxed his expression once he noticed her standing there.

'Tony, I…' Ziva started but he shook his head.

'Nathan comes first' he reminded her of her own words. 'I understand' Tony said and headed off to their bedroom while Ziva just stood there.

Ziva wasn't sure what was going on with Tony exactly or what to do about it but she forced her mind off him and to focus only on her son, he was the one who needed her right now. She headed back downstairs and called him up for a bath as it was starting to get late. He was a little hesitant at first but obeyed and turned the TV off.

--

It wasn't until she was tucking Nathan into his bed and kissing him goodnight that he surprised her yet again when he suddenly decided to talk.

'Where's Tony?' Nathan wondered as he too noticed the absence of Tony during the bed routine.

Ziva brushed some hair from her son's face with a small smile as she tried to figure out how to answer such a question without really lying to him. 'He was tired and went to bed early' Ziva said, using every method she knew to convince him it was the truth.

'Oh' Was all Nathan said, looking a bit disappointed but then let loose a yawn and cuddled up to Toby bear.

'Sleep well, my love' Ziva kissed his forehead again and walked out of the room, watching his eyes close before she switched off the light and partially closed his bedroom door. She then headed to the bedroom she shared with Tony and paused outside the door, feeling unsure and annoyed with her confusing thoughts. She was a trained Mossad Assassin and yet here she was standing outside a bedroom simply because she was afraid of what the conversation within could result to. Ziva scowled at herself and went into the room (she had taken her shower earlier and was already dressed for bed).

'Tony?' she whispered as she climbed into bed but could tell by his breathing that he wasn't asleep. 'Fine, have it your way' she sighed when he didn't respond. But part of her hoped that he would, that he'd turn around and say something to her that would justify what she was feeling. 'I am sorry' she then said, feeling that she needed to say it.

'You don't have anything to be sorry about' came his reply after a few minutes of them both just laying there in silence. He turned to look at her but Ziva glanced away and elaborated on what she had said.

'I am sorry but you are right; Nathan does come first' she told him firmly.

Tony nodded and turned back away from her, not sure what he could say as he was tired of trying to get her to see that he was a part of this now too, that maybe he could help if she would just let him. They were in a relationship, something he had only been able to fantasize about…but times like this made it hard for him to believe that they really were together.

'Tony?' her voice broke through his thoughts again but he remained faced away from her, letting out a short grunt to let her know that he had heard her and was listening.

'Will you promise me that no matter what happens…you will put Nathans life and safety over mine?' Ziva sighed and Tony is surprised to have heard such a request but deep down he knew that no matter how much he adored Nathan, he didn't know if he could carry out such a promise.

Somehow Ziva sensed his hesitation. 'Please, you must promise' she insisted. 'That Nathans life will come first'

'I promise, he'll come first' Tony told her, hoping he really meant it. But if she understood that he was putting Nathan first then maybe she'll see that he cares about the boy almost as much as she does.

'Thank you' Ziva breathed in relief but glanced in his direction, his back still facing her and there was distance between them. 'Please do not be mad' she said, shocking Tony as her tone almost made it sound as though she was begging him.

'I'm not' he admitted. Yes he felt useless and pushed away, but he wasn't mad at Ziva…he didn't blame her for wanting her son to be happy and safe above everything, even their relationship. He just wished she would let him help, let him be a part of their lives more than just a roommate.

'I do not believe you' Ziva frowned, now sounding annoyed and more like the Ziva Tony knew.

'I'm not mad at you Ziva' Tony said again. 'I just don't know what I'm supposed to do or where I stand if you won't let me in' he confessed. He then turned over to look at her but she was staring at the ceiling and looked rather guilty in the soft moonlight that came through their bedroom window and cast a glow on her expression. Realizing that he was probably making things more difficult for her, she was after the kidnappers of her son after all and poor Nathan wasn't even talking anymore. And now he was causing her more things to worry about and felt a bit selfish about it.

'Don't worry about it' he told her and reached over, placing his hand over hers for a moment and flashed a charming grin. 'Just get some sleep, Zee-Vah' he kissed her lips quickly and then rolled back over but wasn't so distant this time.

Ziva watched him roll back over and just watched him for a moment before whispering so quietly that he wasn't able to hear it as she stared at him. 'If only you knew'.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Hey, next update should be Sunday until mum's internet is down :) And I don't know if I've asked before, but you know how every comments on the characterization? Well I'm glad everyone likes it but I was also wondering if Ari was in character, I think he is and I'm quite proud of it but I was wondering if my readers agree. The most in character moment in my opinion was when he said "They will. You give them less credit than I do". Anyways, you know the drill, please review! And next chapter is...interesting :)**

**-Mel :)**


	23. Where Loyalties Lie

**Author's Notes:** I'm back "home" now and found a way around the problem that prevented me from updating! Also NCIS was on last night and I missed it! In 6 seasons this is only the 2nd time I've missed an ep, the other was season 3 jeopardy but I have that on DVD now. So bit bummed about last night but I'll find a way.  
Now a thanks to my reviewers: **NCISislikecupcakes** (Heh, you wanna steal Toby bear? But doesn't that mean you'll have to take it from Nathan?), **M E Wofford **(And what if Eve doesn't die? What if I decide to keep her mwahahaha...actually I dunno if I will or not yet) and **mia58** (I'm glad I've captured those things right, and the bed scene I wasn't sure if it was right enough, thas for the reassurance it was).  
And to my great reviewers, a huge thanks: **immirose** (I quite like the kidnappers too, or at least mostly Eve and Spike cuz they're fun to write and seen a lot more. Their backstory is an interesting one:). Glad to hear Ari is in-character, whew. That bad feeling you were getting? You might be right. Tony and Ziva's relationship is getting the backseat at the moment yes, but I don't plan on keeping it that way for too long) and **debook210** (You made my fave reviewers list cuz all your reviews are lengthly and detailed, which helps me and motivates me more, thanks. That personal opinion you have about who Nathan should open up to? Well I never planned for it to be Ziva. Glad Ari was done good, it's how I wanted it to be but I just hope everyone understands that while he cared about Nathan, he was still Ari and still became a bad guy.

If I had money and time I would build a monument to **Amber-chick!** But I don't so I'll stick with updating and btw Amber would it be okay if I name a future character after you? The character won't be like you, just love the name "Amber" and wanted to use it as a "thanks" for your wonderful reviews! Stupid assignments. Nathan is 7-years-old but will be 8 in a few weeks. He lasted 2 hours cuz of his schoolwork and the amazing things known as "computers". He looked up a prestige private school, hense the uniforms. Glad you liked the desk moments, I felt them all to be fitting and debated if he should read "deep six" but maybe later down the track. Ziva let Nathan stay during the case-talk because she is slightly out of practice with being a mother; when Nathan was 3 and younger he always did as he was told when it was important, she thinks he still does but forgets that when kids get older they won't always be little angels and mix that with her genes... :) I loved that Ari line too, very proud of it and how in-character it was. Had it planned ages before I even planned that chapter. Haha, yes a milestone! As stubborn as the couple are it's not the main cause for their problems as one would assume, it's also Ziva's uncertancy to trust and how to let someone in, but also because Tony doesn't know where he stands or what to do when it concerns a child. I wish I could reply with pages of response but onewards with the chapter! Thanks though, I always love every review you send me as it helps and just makes me feel so proud and happy! I nearly fell over when I saw how long the previous one was and how you reviewed both chapters, but I re-read it about 10 times and got an interesting idea for the story so thanks!**

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**Chapter twenty-three: Where loyalties lie**

It was almost four in the morning when Nathan awoke to find himself in his own bed and unnaturally awake. He looked around and didn't like that it was still rather dark and way too quiet.

'M-mama?' he gulped softly and flung the blankets off himself before rushing to the partially ajar door to pull it open and entered the hallway. Nathan ran towards the door that separated him from Tony and Ziva but his hand paused on the doorknob as an image flashed through his mind…

--

'_Nathan?' Eve asked as she entered his room, but he was laying on his back and staring at the dull roof as he ignored her. 'I know it is your sixth birthday in a week, if you are lucky I might let you choose what you want for dinner'._

_Nathan turned to frown at her, trying not to let any expression slip as it was his only weapon that they did not know what he was thinking or how easily they got to him. Eve was being unusually nice to him today so he was very suspicious. _

'_Why?' he asked, sitting up to give her his best glare._

'_Because I want to' Eve said, approaching her as she looked at him with an odd expression._

'_No, I don't want it' Nathan replied, not trusting her at all and there was bound to be a price for anything good he received from them. 'Because my mama is gonna come find me and save me and you'll be thrown in jail!' he yelled, angry at her once again for locking him up and for making it so hard for his mother to find him._

'_You don't get it!' Eve suddenly screamed and made him jump as she grabbed his hair and pulled his head back . 'You do not want you mother to find you! Because if she does; I will kill her. If she finds you, I will take you again so far from her that no one will ever find you! I work at Mossad, Nathan…just like your mother so I know all the tricks she does. I have access to all the weapons I please, and trust me when I say I will hurt anyone that goes against me' she glared right into his face and Nathan heard a "click" as she pulled out her gun, pressing it against his leg. 'And if by some miracle your mother finds you… if you ever tell them about me, I ensure you that I will put a a bullet through your leg or even your skull' she said, speaking in a dangerous whisper into his ear as he tried not to move and his tears slid down his face in pure fear. _

_Eve released him and he scurried away, but her expression and tone were calm and civil again._

'_But you won't tell them about me, will you?' she smiled knowledgably. _

_Nathan could only muster to shake his head slightly as he eyed her gun that she still gripped in her hand. _

'_I know, good boy' Eve replied. 'You can have roast chicken on your birthday…if you want' and with that she left the room._

--

'But…I told her' Nathan gulped as he twisted the doorknob and peaked into the room. He turned to see his mother sprawled on her stomach as she slept, snoring softly and considered going to her for comfort as she had given it the night before but then turned towards Tony and found himself unable to choose. When had he ever had to choose between someone else and his mother? Uncle Ari had been important to him but his mother was everything to Nathan. But Tony…he was different. Tony cared about his mother, Tony loved his mother…Tony may even love him. He was the closest thing Nathan had to a father and he always made him feel happy and safe, in a slightly different way to how his mother did.

Nathan always feared Tony would leave someday, and maybe it was that fear sinking into him that motivated him to make a big decision: to take advantage of having a sort of "father" around as he knew he'd always have his mother. He also longed for the somewhat different comfort Tony gave him that his mother lacked…perhaps it was something that only a father could give?

Nathan gulped nervously, afraid Tony was going to reject him or scowl at him for waking him so early as it was common knowledge that Tony did not appreciate early hours of the morning. But his need for the fatherly comfort overpowered Nathan and he shoved Tony's arm cautiously.

'Mhm' Came the mumbled reply but no thrashing or yells occurred so Nathan leaned closer.

'Tony' he whispered into his ear and the man instantly opened his eyes, looking at him in confusion and worry.

'Nathan?' Tony frowned, wondering why the boy was waking him up and not Ziva. He quickly glanced over to find (rather shockingly) Ziva was still snoring softly beside him. 'What's wrong?' he turned back towards Nathan, seeing fear and sadness staring back at him.

'I…sorry I woke you…' Nathan mumbled and felt shy, looking at the ground as he played with his hands.

'You can always wake me' Tony said, debating if he should wake Ziva or not, before he suddenly realized that Nathan was talking again, since he'd taken a void of silence the night before.

'I just woke up and…it is dark, I…' Nathan shrugged as Tony continued to stare at him.

Tony looked over at Ziva again and pondered if he should alert her to the situation but some part of him made note that Nathan had woken him, not Ziva…so perhaps he didn't want his mother. But why would he want Tony over his own mother? Tony stared at the boy again and smiled softly, he felt touched but also confused as he had no idea how but he just knew Nathan was scared, worried and in need of some cheering up or comfort. If he thought Tony could provide that more than his mother right now, who was he to deny the boy what he needed?

'Come on, tough guy' Tony said, carefully getting out of bed without waking Ziva and (after pulling a shirt over his head) placed a hand on Nathan's shoulder to steer him downstairs so they could stop whispering, but to his shock the moment they reached the living room…Nathan clung to him. It wasn't just a fearful, in-need-of-protection hug either; there was something more personal about that genuine hug as Nathan started to cry.

'Hey, it's okay' Tony said and found himself picking Nathan up and letting him bury his face in his shirt as he hugged him back, trying his best to offer as much comfort as Nathan needed. 'Shhh, it's okay kiddo' Tony added and noticed how easily he fell into a fatherly role and it scared him but a part of him had to admit…it felt good too.

* * *

'How long does it take to find a damn car?' Eve sighed as she paced their rather rundown house that she and Spike were hiding in as they waited for Bruce to return.

'It's only been twenty minutes' Spike said without even looking up from his newspaper. 'Nothing…no mention of Kenny or Jack' he sighed in relief and put the paper in his bag.

'I did not expect there to be' Eve shrugged and sat at a bare wooden table, picking at the surface with her nail slightly. 'Do you think Bruce will betray us?' she then asked quickly and cautiously, glancing up for a second to see Spike's reaction.

'The question is: do you think he will?' Spike replied as he sat across from her, peeling a banana as he did so.

'What if Jack talks?' Eve then wondered, not answering his response.

'Do I sense a hint of fear, _Eva_?' Spike smirked as he looked up at her and stared right into her eyes but she looked away, still not revealing any emotions.

'It is not fear' Eve spat, glaring at him slightly and went back to picking at the table. 'I was merely wondering if we can…' she cast a nervous glance towards the door as if she was expecting Bruce to come marching in. '…trust them' she finished with a sigh.

'Nope' Spike said simply as he got up to dispose of the banana peel. 'You know we can't…but we have to'.

* * *

With his usual morning coffee in hand, Gibbs exited the elevators on his floor and strode towards his desk, an hour earlier than when his team was due in but he had some things to go over.

'Special Agent Gibbs!' a voice barked from overheard and Gibbs didn't even need to see who it was before turning on the spot to head up the stairs towards the balcony that overlooked his team, which he was still convinced was specifically placed there so the Director can keep an eye on him.

'Director' Gibbs said calmly before sipping his coffee, giving Vance a disliking but otherwise civil look. He was looking forward to when Jenny returned from her leave, since being badly injured out in the middle of nowhere and she still managed to tell him what happened that day without actually telling him what happened.

'You will be pleased to know that we have Jack in custody' Vance said slowly, enjoying the moment while he could, feeling rather proud of himself. 'Or more specifically…' Vance looked down at the folder in his hands. '…Jacob Mather, one of the kidnappers of Officer David's son. He's in interrogation room nine'.

Gibbs heard nothing else as he snatched the folder from Vance and strode off towards the interrogation room, even dumping his almost-finished coffee along the way. He had memorized all he needed to know about each kidnapper, so this was going to be interesting.

Gibbs paused halfway to the door, breaking away his thoughts on if he could get away with shooting the man, when he pulled out his cell phone and called Tony to tell him that both he and Ziva had the day off. If anyone was going to be shooting the man in interrogation right now…it was going to be Gibbs, also because Tony would kill him and Ziva would not stop at simply shooting one of the men responsible for taking her son.

--

Gibbs entered the room, allowing the door to rebound against the wall and slam shut, making Jack jump several inches before he regained himself. Gibbs took a moment to take in the man's appearance and noticed that he looked a little roughed up.

'Jacob Mather' Gibbs said, remaining dangerously quiet as he waited for a reason to add more bruises to Jack's body. 'Codename: Jack. Murderer, kidnapper… and Terrorist'.

'You can't prove any of that' Jack said quickly but rather confidently.

'You also like a big bang…bombs, snipers, military-grade missiles…anything I'm missing?' Gibbs glanced up from pretending to read a file and gave the man a deathly glare.

Jack narrowed his eyes and leaned closer just to smirk but Gibbs remained unresponsive as he spoke again.

'You've been in Israel no less than eight times in the last five years, why?' Gibbs asked casually, bidding his time.

'I like the heat' Jack replied slightly sarcastic and was wearing on Gibbs's last nerves.

'Where's your brother?' Gibbs asked.

'You're an NCIS agent, why don't you find out?' Jack asked, shifting only slightly under the glare he was receiving. 'You have nothing on me'.

'You kidnapped a three-year-old little boy from Israel and held him hostage for five years!' Gibbs snapped angrily, slamming his hand against the table, effectively making the man jump slightly.

Jack swallowed but once again regained himself and smirked. 'Prove. It'

Jack had about half a second to react before Gibbs had left his seat and grabbed him roughly by the collar as he glared into his eyes with so much threat and danger that Jack lost his smirk and even some much-needed oxygen.

'If you perfer, I could call Mossad Officer Ziva David to come and extract the answers from you' Gibbs said quietly but the danger just increased. 'If you last long enough…' he added, feeling a bit satisfied to the flash of fear the Jack expressed at those words.

'All right!' Jack gave in and Gibbs released him, now taking to standing right beside him. 'I helped take the kid, but it wasn't my idea!'

'Whose idea was it?' Gibbs asked, still growling.

'I don't know' Jack said and saw Gibbs approach so quickly continued. 'We got a call to take the kid and keep him until…'

'Until what?' Gibbs asked loudly.

'I don't know! I just keep a lookout and stuff!' Jack added and Gibbs moved back a little so he calmed down.

'Where is your brother?' Gibbs asked again.

'How should I know? After we were busted we both took off' Jack said, looking slightly annoyed at that so Gibbs took the bait.

'Bet he can run a lot faster than you, huh? You don't care that he left you behind, his own brother?' Gibbs smirked.

Jack frowned but recovered quickly. 'Ken is gonna be famous. Has been planning some secretive terrorist attack of major scale…gonna put 9/11 to shame' he grinned. 'So why don't you just leave me alone and find him!'

'Ah heck, why not?' Gibbs shrugged and turned to leave.

'So…you're gonna let me go?' Jack asked hopefully but also with a lot of disbelief.

'Nah' Gibbs shook his head, gripping the doorknob. 'We're just gonna leave you alone' he said and shut the door, locking it loudly. 'No one goes in or out' he added to the agents guarding outside and strode off.

* * *

'Bruce is taking too long' Eve got up from the table after she checked her watch once again.

'No kidding' Spike agreed and got to his feet as well, turning to grab Bruce's bag and started to dig through it.

'Spencer, are you crazy?' Eve hissed and approached but then decided to keep a lookout in case Bruce came back and caught them.

'Maps' Spike noticed a whole pile of them with sections marked and circled.

'So? We keep track of all the places we have been' Eve shrugged but stared at the one Spike handed to her of Washington DC with an angry expression on his face.

'We've never been to this area' Spike indicated a heavily circled address. 'And it's too residential'.

'Wait is that…' Eve's eyes narrowed as she stared at the place more intently and gasped just as Spike grabbed his weapons and voiced her thoughts.

'Yes…he's gone after Nathan!' Spike growled.

--

Several miles away, Nathan David was up in his room playing with his trains and a bunch of various other toys while Ziva was downstairs cleaning and Tony sat casually on the couch watching a movie. The three were unaware that immediate danger was heading there way and the adults only concerns fell to the surprise of getting the day off.

'Gibbs knows something we do not' Ziva was grumbling as she swept the floor. 'Something we are not being told'.

Tony glanced over at her and knew she was right but there was nothing they could do about it and if it was important enough, surely Gibbs would have told them something?

'Bam!' Nathan said as he made two trains crash into each other and roll across the floor, making the appropriate sounds along the way. He even did a few yelling for imaginary passengers and then laughed before getting to his feet. Nathan had been enjoying himself since Tony gave him a hug and made him a great breakfast before they went to wake Ziva up. Nathan finally felt as though things were going the way they were supposed to, even if the kidnappers were still out there and Tony wasn't officially his "dad" yet.

Nathan sighed and watched a few kids slightly older than him playing with a ball outside and towards the right end across the street. He looked back more towards right outside his window and saw a dark silver SUV park directly across the street and as the passengers got out of the vehicle, Nathan's blood ran cold and he felt a bit light-headed as he stared at them. The pair seemed so casual and acting as though they were fine, but Nathan knew they were looking for someone…him.

'No! NO!' Nathan screamed in terror and turned to run but tripped over his trains, crashing to the floor loudly and Ziva instantly appeared at the doorway to see what was going on.

'We have been made' Eve said discreetly as she turned towards Spike.

'I know' he replied, both of them appeared to just be looking around the streets and nowhere in particular as they were masters of being undetected and less suspicious. They had seen Nathan's wide-eyed expression and him turning around quickly no-doubt to alert his mother so the pair got into their car and drove away fast.

--

Tony had muted the TV as there was a crash from upstairs and Ziva raced up to see if her son was okay, but seconds later the doorbell rang and Tony (seeing no other option and with Ziva being unavailable) got up to answer it.

'Tony!' Ziva yelled in warning as she and Nathan reached the bottom of the stairs but it was too late, Tony had pulled the front door open and all three froze as a big, mean-looking man stood there with a gun aimed directly at Tony's skull.

'Bruce' Nathan gulped barely above a whisper as he stared at the dark-blonde haired man that was grinning right at him like a hungry wolf would its prey. Although he was still missing a tooth, his smirk was enough to give his entire appearance a darker effect and made the room seem a lot colder in his presence.

'If either of you move…' Bruce said to Ziva and Nathan while taking the gun off safety, letting it "click" loudly. 'He's dead' he looked at Tony, ignoring the glare set on the agent's features.

'Tony, remember your promise' Ziva said quickly as she gripped her son's shoulders. She felt thankful in making Tony promise to put Nathan's life before her own, but she didn't want either of the boys to lose their lives or Nathan to lose his mother once again.

'Nothing will save you now' Bruce said as Tony nodded slightly in answer Ziva. 'However, I will exchange Agent DiNozzo for Nathan…hand over the kid and no one dies'.

Nathan whimpered at that and his eyes widened further but Ziva stood her ground.

'No' She said firmly, but also angrily as she could not move without risking either Tony's life or her son's. 'That is not going to happen'.

'Let him! I'll go!' Nathan then pleaded with her as Bruce made a move to shoot Tony. 'I don't want Tony to die!' he started crying.

'No' Tony told Nathan but winced as the gun was pressed harder against him. 'Stay with your mom, Nathan'

'But…' Nathan sniffed.

'You don't have a choice, hand over the kid!' Bruce said and pulled out another gun to aim at Nathan while keeping the other pressed against Tony's skull.

Ziva snarled at that action and stood in front of Nathan while eying Bruce with nothing short of a murderous glare.

'Do not point a gun at my son!' she snapped. 'You will not get my son, or Tony. I offer myself' she said, not wanting to but if she could get close enough…

'No!' Nathan sobbed again but she ignored him as Tony turned slightly to stare at her and somehow the pair were able to communicate with their eyes and Tony understood what she was trying to do.

'No, only the kid!' Bruce ordered.

Ziva hissed for Nathan to stay still and reached to her jeans to retrieve her knife that was concealed there. Bruce saw her movement and went to shoot her but Tony grabbed the gun aimed at him to moved it away before the other gun came up to his skull.

Ziva placed her knife and backup gun on the floor before holding up her empty hands but did not move her eye contact from Bruce as Tony froze again to avoid being shot and for some reason Bruce never fired either of his guns.

But then gunfire did go off and Tony acted purely out of instinct and his promise as he raced towards Nathan, grabbing him around the middle and raced upstairs with him while trying to retrieve his own weapon. He didn't know where the gunfire had come from or if Ziva was injured but he had made a (unwilling) promise and he was going to keep it. But another part of him told him it was because he wasn't going to let Nathan go, he had to protect the boy whilst his mother was fully capable of doing more damage than she could receive. He had to pray on that.

Ziva ducked out of instinct as the gunfire went off but after she saw Tony run towards Nathan she did a second glance to check her son was unharmed before she ran and dove at Bruce, knocking him clean off his feet and almost right out the doorway. Ziva was very violent with Bruce even as the bullet had pierced through his left ankle but he was still one of the men that had taken her son, that had caused them both pain…he had to pay!

Ziva punched, kicked and then did some more punching (all sounds and movement were blocked from her mind) before it came to her attention that she had knocked him out. Feeling momentarily satisfied, Ziva jumped up and looked around for the unknown shooter while retrieving her gun from the kitchen bench (how could she have left it there?!) but then slammed the front door shut and ran upstairs, pulling Nathan into a tight hug as he sobbed and she almost broke down in her own relief as well.

'Thank you' she looked up at Tony, showing her appreciation with her eyes as she smiled. 'For keeping your promise' she released Nathan and wrapped her arms around Tony, hugging him closely as he nodded and stroked her hair, Nathan soon came to join them and it turned into a big family hug.

--

Back outside, several feet away and hidden by a large patch of bushes…Spike crouched beside Eve, grabbing her shoulder and she turned to stare at him. She nodded at his expression and knew they had to do a runner. She pulled her aimed sniper rifle away from the target of the doorway where she'd just shot Bruce exactly where she'd wanted to. Eve got up, doing her best to conceal the weapon as she and Spike jumped into Bruce's red car and sped off down the road…

* * *

**Author's Notes: I'm not even going to comment :). Although I hope everyone will be happy to know that I have planned in detail to chapter 51 and then briefly to chapter 70. I do plan on continuing this story for as long as I can and I hope you will all stick with me and the story for that long. I doubt I'll stop just because it hits 100 or whatever, I just hope everyone likes this story enough to stay with it that long :). I am a bit worried about the reactions towards some major changes upcoming but hopefully a majority will like them since I won't be letting the plot slip or change how I write things, gradually and with a planned pace.**

**Anyways, you know what to do now...please review and I'll update again say...Saturday? Otherwise Monday/Tuesday area. I'm getting my puppy on Sunday!!! :D**

**-Mel**


	24. External Silence and Internal Dilemma

**Author's Notes:** Here is another chapter. Haven't heard from **Amber-chick** but I'm sure she's busy so thanks to all my reviewers: **M E wofford** (I try to make a lot of things unexpected), **Ishty** (I will try youtube, have already but didn't have time to browse. Don't expect daily updates though since not everyone can be online to read/review daily...but updates will move along rather quickly, at least every 3 days if I can), **Shella-belle** (The kidnapper group are falling apart but there is a bigger group behind them so even with the 2 main ones being the only ones left, it's still far from over. Nathan is a very mini-Ziva but you're right, he won't be a "closed book" as she often is. He is also very brave and will open up about things even if they scare him. I loved your comments about the evolution of Tony and Nathan to a father/son bond, you're very right. I am getting my baby/puppy earlier than planned and am so excited, won't stop kissing/cuddling her!), **mis58** (Bruce is a member of the group, Eve wasn't going to kill him because he was going against the plans as he was still trying to get Nathan back, her motives are confusing and don't make much sense as no one knows her full story yet. The question everyone should be asking is not why she didn't kill Bruce but why she didn't kill Ziva. I also had to make a point of showing that Nathan can tell the difference between a mother and a father in terms of his relationship with Ziva and Tony), **f*ck this shit** (glad you loved it), **NCISislikecupcakes** (I can't join the club cuz I don't hate Eve :P, I quite enjoy her character but then again I understand why she is like that so yeh)and **libby** (I love new reviewers! Nathan is more stressed and scared rather than actually fully suffering from PTSD, but his nightmares are quite basic and the flashbacks are also for the readers benfit. Ziva almost got shot, it was hardly a few inches and seconds off. They say when a child is in danger the parent taps into new, unique levels of strength and bravery...such as when Tony saved Nathan :P. Tony teach Nathan some Italian? Nice idea, thanks. And Nathan teaching Tony some Hebrew will be used a lot later, I had that bit planned anyway. Would I be evil in saying I'm glad you're addicted lol? Thanks).

And of course, a huge thanks to **debook210** (I enjoyed your comments and yes I will be writing to 100 or more if I can, have done it before. My first NCIS fic was almost 200 chapters, five years ago. What I found most interesting about your review was what you said about the bad guys. You were spot on and I'm glad I developed them that well, because it's what I was aiming for: the readers to see that these guys are clearly bad but at the same time wonder why and how they got that way and if they're truly as bad as they seem. Thanks!), **Immirose **(Yes, I hoped people would see that dangerous nature of Eve, how she can go from calm and collected to very violent and angry in a split second. Thanks, I love the father/son aspect to it all as well. Spike...hahaha, he's one of my fave to write. It's okay to like the bad guys! Or at least I tell myself that cuz I do too :P. Yes, his fruit is actually an interesting aspect of his character. It's explained a little more in a later chapter, but it was random when I first wrote hime but quickly realised that no, it's not just a part of who Spike is but it's actually rather significant. Can't say much more now, but you'll understand later :P Oh and my puppy is a purebred Kelpie) and **leobold1** (thanks, am so excited to get my pup! Spike is a multi-character, meaning there is more than one side to him so no, he's not exactly one who would leave his partners "twisting in the wind" often, but if it's a partner he is close to or knew before the job...he's not gonna just skip out, such as Eve. And Eve, she is what I consider and evil version of Ziva/Ari combined., if that makes any sense. The bigger-than-9/11 plot isn't an exageration and Nathan isn't too involved, only slightly...since Kenny went out on his own plans and abandoned his team-mates and brother. You're so right about Ari too, he knew Eve feared him yet he did nothing of it to his advantage such as save Nathan. Thanks!).

Okay, that was long sorry but I just can't update without thanking my reviewers as they mean so much to me and to the developing/progression of the story! Here's the next chapter and finally everyone is going t know more about Simon aka Nathan's biological father!!Underlined is in Hebrew.**

* * *

Chapter twenty-four: External silence, internal dilemma**

After finally breaking apart from their hugs of relief, Tony and Ziva knew they couldn't just stand in their bedroom…they had to deal with the situation at hand. So while Ziva remained upstairs comforting her terrified and shaken son, Tony went downstairs to ensure Bruce was still knocked out (and alive) before calling Gibbs.

Before long, McGee and Gibbs arrived with Ducky, and Ziva brought her son downstairs but he kept his face buried in her hair as she held him. McGee was working with the paramedics as he was escorting Bruce to the hospital and Ducky took Nathan over to the couch so he could check him over and decided to keep him company while the others talked.

'You're staying with me' Gibbs informed Tony and Ziva very firmly, the was concern marked in his features but he was also very surprised that Ziva hadn't killed Bruce. 'We also have Jack in custody-' he started to say but Ziva's head jerked up in attention and Tony pulled his gaze from Nathan to glare at his boss.

'And you didn't tell us?' Tony frowned but Ziva was much madder than that.

'We had the right to know!' Ziva growled but kept her tone low enough that it wouldn't travel over to Nathan and worry him even more.

As Ziva continued to talk angrily to Gibbs and the boss just let her, only answering occasionally, Tony noticed that Ziva was on the edge of a dangerous breakdown.

'He is my son! You had no right to keep anything from me' Ziva snapped and Tony tried to hold her back as she made a move to attack Gibbs. He stood in front of her and held her arms gently but firmly, which she pulled away from and shoved him, trying to make him move but she wasn't in her usually calm focus and (just like with Ari, years ago) she just wanted to blame someone, hurt someone .

Gibbs was surprised as Ziva lashed out at Tony but the latter stood his ground and stayed strong until she became aware of what she was doing, hurting Tony more as she hit him in the chest.

Ziva was also rather shocked by Tony's strength and soon calmed down when he didn't fight back or bend to her will. She lowered her arms and felt like an emotional train wreck; another delightful gift of motherhood. Ziva looked up at Tony, seeing his determined green gaze staring at her and she was hit with guilt as she had been hurting him when all he had done was support her, love her and it wasn't his fault…none of it was.

'I…' she went to apologize but Tony shook his head and his gaze alone told her he understood, he didn't mind and he was just worried.

Gibbs sensed a sensitive moment between the pair and as much as he wanted to head-slap them both for numerous reasons…he turned and gave them a moment as he went over to where Ducky was talking to Nathan.

'I'm okay' Tony insisted to Ziva once their boss had walked away. 'I'm just worried about you. You're a crazy ninja chick Zee-Vah, but you're still human' he tipped his head slightly as she tried to look away as if to dismiss his concern.

Tony gave Gibbs a glance before looking at her again and lowered his tone a little more, which caught her attention. 'You have to stop trying to deal with everything on your own' he admitted what had been bothering him for a while now. 'We're a couple now Ziva…but it doesn't feel like it'.

Ziva looked worried as he said that and stared right up at him, waiting for him to say more while expecting the worst.

'I…' Tony breathed heavily and rolled his eyes at himself but he had to say something or she could slip away from him, away from herself even. 'I guess I'm just afraid of losing you, or of something happening to Nathan' but as Tony had said that a realization sung deep inside him, something he only became aware of until that moment and his surprise was in his expression as he said it aloud. 'I don't want to be alone anymore' and with that he walked away, going to check on Nathan and to find out what Gibbs wanted them to do now.

Ziva stared after him, no emotion apart from her stress and anger leaked into her features and while she was shocked but touched to Tony's words…it wasn't what was on her mind. She was afraid. Fear filled within her, not just of her son's safety or of her now-strained relationship with Tony…but of something that belong in the past, deep within her own subconscious as she flashed back to a moment quite a long time ago…

--

_It had been a long day at Mossad, with her partner leaving to get married…a luxury she did not have. Feeling lonely and rather miserable, Ziva wandered into a bar she had not been in for many months now and sat on a stool near the counter._

'_Drink?'__ the bartender asked, having recognized her._

'_Maybe later'__ Ziva sighed in return just as a man about 6 foot tall and with very light brown hair approached, requesting a drink as he pulled off a work tie that had been accompanying his suit. Ziva couldn't help but give him a glance over as he was rather attractive and looked good in that suit._

_He turned with a drink in his hand and spotted her, smiling briefly and then looked for a table but there was none and sat beside her._

'_Um hi' he said a little awkwardly. 'I'm Simon' he introduced._

'_Ziva' she replied, and so a conversation began. Simon seemed as lonely as she felt as he told her about how he was visiting Israel on a business trip and it was his third night before he had to fly home._

_Soon after he bought her drinks and Ziva felt a moment of ease, of a happier moment when it wasn't about staying alive, dealing with her father or anything related to her job at all._

_Simon invited her to dance and since she was enjoying his company and the rebellious sense inside herself, she agreed and was happy to._

_After half an hour of fast dancing and laughter, the slower music started up and the pair didn't miss a beat as they moved appropriately to the music with Simon slowly leaning in. Ziva closed her eyes as she let her guard down and kissed him, feeling the warmth of his mouth as something she had been lacking for a long time…_

--

'We're leaving' Gibbs' voice broke Ziva out of her thoughts rather harshly and reality sunk back into her, making her mood sink once again.

'I am fine' Ziva said instantly as Tony approached with Nathan beside him. 'Are you ready to have another sleepover with Gibbs?' she asked her son, brightening her tone and expression even if she felt dark inside.

Nathan nodded and accepted her hand as she reached out to him but moved to grab Tony's as well, innocently unaware of the adults strain or the haunting thoughts that invaded his mother's mind.

* * *

'One Mississippi …two Mississippi…three-' Spike was counting as he leaned against a wall and peeled an orange.

'Argh!' Eve scowled loudly again and kicked a chair, overturning it loudly and it was a wonder that it never broke.

'One Mississippi…two-' Spike started counting again until Eve let out a string of curses and swears, kicking another chair, this time breaking it as it contacted with a wall and he discarded his fruit, becoming annoyed. 'Hey!' he snapped at her, making her pause. 'Calm down you crazy woman, or it'll make things worst!'

'Do not…!' Eve hated being told what to do and she was so mad that Spike had made a very risky move in even talking to her and then calling her a name. Eve reacted by pulling a knife from her belt and approached him, but he did not move as she pressed it to his throat; daring him to give her a reason to kill him.

'You need me' Spike reminded her, his usual tone becoming serious. 'I won't betray you like Ari did…like your family did' he reminded her and Eve glared deeper before lowering the knife. Eve said nothing as she let out a breath to calm down but seemed saddened about the mention of Ari.

--

Tony watched Ziva as she stared off into the distance and felt relieved in knowing that Nathan was down in the basement with Gibbs, learning to build things in a successful effort to distract him and allow them time to think.

Tony just stood nearby where Ziva was sitting on the couch and stared at her, thinking over how long they had known each other and the long, treacherous path they had followed from strangers and co-workers to friends and now lovers. He knew his attraction to her was undeniable and then memories of when she'd kissed him flooded into his mind.

After reliving that moment a few times, Tony came to the discovery that what he felt towards Ziva he hadn't felt towards Jeanne, some of it yes…but there was undoubtedly something deeper about how he felt for Ziva. He knew now that he really did love her, that the mythical feeling of loving one person more than his own existence was finally filling within him. He knew her too, he really understood her (most of the time) and even the small things were great. Like the way she smiled when he tousled her hair or the mumbled grunts she spoke in when she was only barely awake or the wild, tangled appearance she had in the morning that still made her seem beautiful. And the way she fit into his arms as though she was meant to be there.

And then he flashed back to what happened the day before, of how he'd feel if all that was taken from him. If Bruce had pulled the trigger on her and she was the one being escorted to hospital…or Ducky's morgue. A cold shiver replaced Tony's warm feelings as he approached Ziva and crouched in front of her.

'I don't want to lose you, Ziva. But I came close to yesterday' he said and she glanced at him, now in attention and seemed to be taking his words in as though they were working on a case in the squad room and not discussing feelings in Gibbs' living room.

'Please, just let me in…trust me' Tony was feeling as stressed as she was, and the gap between them was tearing at him, he had to do something before he did lose her, or before she did something she would regret…perhaps even put her own son in danger during the process. Tony saw a flash of something resembling doubt and fear in her eyes as he placed his hands on her knees and leaned closer.

'I know it's hard' he sighed; he knew how hard it was, and how it was really effecting what they had, preventing them from having what they should have in their relationship, their lives. 'But love is supposed to conquer all, right?' he spoke aloud without realizing and Ziva's arms wrapped around his neck. She held him in such a warm embrace and he stood up to hug her more properly, bringing Ziva to her feet as well.

But during what he hoped was a breakthrough, Ziva's whisper placed more doubts into his mind.

'It is such a big risk' she said softly, opening herself to be venerable as well, in a way she only did with Tony.

Tony pulled back slightly, still keeping her in his embrace as he stared into her eyes, searching for something to keep his own hope.

'You will risk your life and health on a daily basis but you can't risk your heart?' he wondered.

Ziva stared at him and after what appeared to be an internal debate she spoke with words that shocked him to hear as it was a big confession coming from her. 'I am scared'.

Taking her words to motivate him, Tony brushed some hair away that had fallen over her face and smiled briefly. 'I promise…' he said as truthfully and firmly as he could, to try to convince her of what he felt. '…that I won't leave you unless you give me no choice' he told her and knew he'd triggered something by accidently saying "love conquers all" but it was true in all movies he'd seen and it was what he felt, so maybe she did need to know that? Perhaps she needed to know these things about what he was feeling to help convince her that he was serious, that she was the one woman for him…he never knew she had all these fears and doubt but now his accidental slip seemed to be a good thing. It might have been just what she needed as she gave him a small but somewhat loving look again, brushing a hand over his cheek before she leaned in and kissed him, which he responded to and felt the warmth fill him up again and her sweet taste in his mouth.

As they parted for an annoyance Tony referred to as "oxygen" and Ziva spoke to him again with a softer more sure tone.

'I have never told anyone apart from my sister Tali or when I was young, my mother and Ari…but never a man outside family' she confessed. 'I was raised to believe that expressing emotions and getting too involved with someone was dangerous' Ziva sighed and dampened his hopes only slightly but he held on to her words.

'I trust you, Tony' she smiled truthfully. 'And-' but her next words were cut short as she heard a sound and Nathan appeared at the basement doorway, oblivious to the scene before him that he'd just interrupted as he went to get a soda.

As he came back, the pair had broken apart. Nathan was covered in sawdust and seemed rather content as he waved at them.

'Gibbs said he will build me a clubhouse one day in our yard if I'm really good!' he told them happily and joined them as they sat on the couch again. And while Tony listened enthusiastically to Nathan, having now gained quite some experience with the techniques of talking to the boy, Ziva was zoning out as she stared at her son and another flashback overcame her…

--

_Ziva ignored the complaining people around her as she shoved and pushed her way through the crowds, running at full speed and right past a lady telling her she wasn't permitted through a doorway without a plane ticket. Ziva ran outside and soon reached the large plane that was receiving the last of its passengers._

'_Simon!' Ziva spotted him and waved, preparing to board the plane or shoot someone to get to him if necessary. _

'_Ziva?' Simone spotted her and left the steps to approach her as she paused to breathe. 'I know it's hard, but I have already stayed three weeks more than I should have…'_

'_It is not that' Ziva gasped and regained herself. 'I am pregnant, it is yours'._

'_What?' Simon gasped and moved her away from the other passengers, telling the pilot to wait. 'You're…oh my god' Simon gasped. 'Um, I don't even know what to say…but Ziva, you know I have to head back to America'._

'_Do you not even care?' Ziva snapped. 'Forget that this could cost me more than just my job and family, but I am pregnant with your child! Right now your son or daughter is growing inside me!'_

'_Yes, I understand biology, and I am sorry Ziva' Simon sighed, running a hand through his hair. 'I promise…' he said firmly. '…that I will call you once I get back to America and we will talk about it okay? You won't have to do this alone. I promise' Simon said as he stared at her and she nodded weakly, not sure how else to reply._

--

'Ziva?' Tony's voice broke her from her past and she realized Nathan had gone back to the basement and her partner/lover was now staring at her in concern. 'Are you okay?'

'Would you stop asking me that? I am fine' she grumbled in annoyance but calmed and was brought back to their conversation. 'I am confused' Ziva told him. 'I need time to think' she realized and he nodded, looking a little defeated so she reached over and took his hand in hers. 'But I am not reversing out of this relationship' she smiled. 'I have waited to long'.

'It's backing…' Tony went to correct her but she cast him a warning glare and he smiled. 'That's all I needed to hear' he said and kissed her passionately, with more happiness than the previous one. 'I'll let you think, Zee-vah…and go see what Nathan is building with the boss' Tony got up and gave her a brief smile before turning and heading down the basement stairs.

Ziva sighed and watched him leave before staring at her hands that sat atop her lap, entwining them a little uncharacteristically before shaking her head…

--

'_I do not see the purpose of this' Ari said as he held up calendar in which Ziva had marked down each day of her pregnancy, right up to the current and third month. _

'_I wish to know how far along my child is' Ziva replied. 'Do you have a problem with that?' she then growled harshly, raising her tone dramatically._

_Ari had a moment of caution, as though wondering if he should leave. 'Not at all' he replied and smiled, moving to kiss atop her head where she was sitting on an armchair. 'But I must insist…when will I get to meet the father of your unborn child, Ziva?' Ari changed the topic. 'I am very eager to shoot him'._

_Ziva growled again and with one look Ari realized his mistake._

'_Perhaps another time' he replied and nodded. 'I shall tend to some business, little sister. Call me if you need anything or if you are not…at your usual focus to shoot someone'._

'_Mhmm' Ziva grumbled and picked up another magazine as her brother left. Once he was gone she sniffed and wiped her eyes as she turned to stare at her phone that sat right within her reach but still it did not ring. Her much-promised call from Simon had never come and she was quite certain it never would by this far along; she was having his child alone…

* * *

_

**_Author's Notes:_ What did you think? I hope that insight gave everyone more knowledge about the situation involving Simon and Ziva, there will be a bit more on that soon enough. I am sure a lot of Tiva fans will like next chapter as they start to work through their "problems" and insecurities, as well as more Tony/Nathan moments. The chapter after that has even more Tiva...I'm spreading the Tivaness now :) Finally aiming towards a stronger part in their relationship. I'm currently writing chapter 33 and should have several more written by the next update :). Oh and does anyone still want Nathan/Gibbs moments? I noticed it was a rather popular request over time. Do I have Fornell-fans here as well? Cuz gonna bring him into it as well. **

**Anyway, please review and if there is anything you would like to see or part you enjoy the most, let me know as I'm open to everyones opinions and thoughts. There is no garantee I'll use them but I might. Will update again about Monday or Tuesday. Very busy Sunday and Saturday is too soon. Enjoy! :)**

**-Mel**


	25. Trustworthy Confessions

**Author's Notes:** I got my puppy Mia yesterday, yay! She's adorable and very well-behaved, I love her so much already and so does my sister :). Thanks to my reviewers: **mia58** (Simon doesn't have an active part in the story since he he dead, but he is Nathan's biological father so he still matters in some way. Why didn't Eve kill Ziva indeed, you won't find that answer in this chapter but soon enough :). Glad you liked Toyn and Ziva last chapter), **mwah47** (Thanks!), **Leobold1 **(Yeah Spike is an interesting character. And what do you mean by you've "got a hold on Eve"? And it'll be a wait, I'm only releasing small snippets of Eve at the moment, but son enough more background will be known. And Ari brought Nathan the pencils for the reason of being a b'day gift and a possible tool, but he did not arrange the kidnapping or assist in the abduction...but you're right, that doesn't mean he wasn't involved someway), **M E Wofford** (Yay, Fornell fan. Glad the flashbacks did some explaining. Also some more Nathan/Gibbs moments, eh? I'm sure I can establish that...Ironically there is some in the chapter after this one, a lot actually), **NCISislikecupcakes** (Thanks, heh), **unknown **(This if is a very long way from ending, but I'm sure it'll have a happy feel to it when it does. Glad you like all the Tiva and Tony/Nathan moments as well as the way Ziva's starting to open up as there is a bit more of it in this chapter), **Ziny-DiNozzo** (thanks, :). More about Eve/Eva will be known soon, as for Simon...not for a little while again) and **Nepeace** (Thanks and you're welcome!)

Of course, also thanks to: **Amber-chick** (I really really enjoy your rambling and long reviews!!! Eve did not turn against Mossad, not in the true sense of the phrase, but can't say more than that for now. The "why" reason for the kidnap of Nathan from Eve's part will be hinted more and revealed soon enough. She does have a temper, yes. Glad you loved the Tony/Nathan bonding moments and you're right with your comments. Haha. Eve is indeed the codename for Eva, but not because she hates her heritage, but all kidnappers in this group have one (Spike, Bruce, Kenny and Jack). I put Jenny back in because of the Jibbs and I do not believe that Vance would have a heart enough to let Nathan stay at NCIS in a way Jenny might. Bruce went after Nathan because it's his job to take the boy but he went against their plans and indeed...why? What could come of it? Nathan is no good to the kidnappers dead before his purpose is carried out, but Eve did save them...Bruce never intended to kill the boy. I loved all your comments and I'm greatful for your thoughts, also just to varify: Ari never met Simon in any shape or form. And Nathan is building something in Gibbs' basement, not just helping with the boat although he does that as well. And I really wanted to use the flashbacks to show how Ziva came across Simon, how she let her guard down and most importantly: his unfulfilled promise to be there for her. Ari's eagerness to shoot him is one of my fave lines, :). Yay, I can name a character after you! It wasn't until on the way home with my pup that I figured out who and I think you'll like her but she won't be seen until a lot later, looking at past chapter 70), **Debook210** (Working through the Tiva and not just having them rush things or skim over things that are important parts of a relationship is what I aim for in my fic, glad you agree. I'm sure I can work in Tony/Nathan/Gibbs moment, not sure when though. I also have some Ziva/Abby bonding later if you're interested :). You're wondering why Ziva kept the baby aka Nathan? I won't go into detail as I may explain it in the fic later but it's mostyl involving the fact she wanted to be a mother, the man was wrong and the timing was wrong but a baby was something she though she could never deserve/have and she was against aborting/adopting him out. Loved the comment at the end), and **Immirose **(The review made sense, heh. I too felt Ziva's outburst was needed, there is only so much she can take, even as a Mossad Asassin. Tony somehow knew what to do and offered himself as a way for her to release. The fruit obsession Spike has is indeed interesting, as you'll find out later. "one step forward two steps back" is the perfect way to describe Tony and Ziva's relationship. Fornell fan yay but I for one do not like Sack/Slacks but he make make an appearance later.

Okay, sorry about the long-ness of the A/N but I have to thank me reviewers and answer questions! On with the chapter even though it is a bit shorter than usua. Updating again soon. Enjoy!**

* * *

**

**Chapter twenty-five: Trustworthy confessions**

It was the following day that the small, slowly-establishing family made their way back home. Gibbs had not filled Tony or Ziva in on the details of his interrogation with Jack or the fact that the man was still locked in the interrogation room until he was up to talking…but the couple had more things on their minds anyway.

Upon returning home, Ziva sunk back into her mothering role, feeling a bit better that two kidnappers were now caught and suffering somewhat under Gibbs. Tony was preoccupied with Nathan having discovered a TV show called Pokémon, amongst various other children shows that he insisted on owning or seeing while Ziva cooked in the background. The adults were thankful that Nathan (while still being as observant as he was) did not see past his natural child's innocence long enough to notice the tension between his mother and the man he wanted as his father. But it was only a matter of time before his senses that he inherited from Ziva picked up that something didn't feel right as he was talking to Tony late that afternoon.

'And then he breathed fire and…you're not listening to me' Nathan frowned as Tony turned away from him to glance over at Ziva where she was busy cleaning.

'I am' Tony insisted, having only lost his concentration for a moment.

'No, you're not' Nathan replied, crossing his arms in annoyance and he felt a bit rejected. 'You're lying and you're worried' he said.

'David genes' Tony grumbled before taking a breath and tried to think of how to rectify the situation as Ziva was clearly not coming to his rescue due to slipping into yet another daydreaming trance. 'Nathan, it's been a long week' Tony started as the boy stared at him, awaiting a reasonable explanation as to why the man he idolized and wanted as his father wasn't listening to him as he told him something he considered to be exciting.

'I know' Nathan nodded when Tony said nothing else, thinking he was awaiting a reply.

'I was listening to you, I just…' Tony frowned and wondered how parents always knew what to say but then had to remind himself that he wasn't a parent, just a substitute. 'I have a lot on my mind' he decided to say.

'Okay' Nathan sighed and shrugged. He didn't like it but he did understand because he too was still flashing back to what had happened recently. 'But why are you worried?' he then sounded fearful as he knew that look on Tony's face.

Tony stared over at Ziva and scratched his head for a moment. 'Um, because your mother is cleaning too much' he replied, which wasn't overly true but he was prepared this time and hid his lie from Nathan.

Nathan climbed upwards on the couch and peered over the top to look at his mother.

'I think she's just sad because the bad man came into our house and tried to hurt us' Nathan said wisely. 'We should cheer her up' he decided with a nod and was hopping off the couch before Tony could stop him. 'Mama!' Nathan grinned and hugged her around the middle, knowing that when he was happy she was too and how much she loved his hugs.

'Is something wrong?' Ziva asked as she hugged her son back and felt a bit warmer if not happier with his embrace.

'You're sad. Tony and I are going to make you happy' Nathan told her, turning to look up at her but Ziva had glanced over at Tony.

'Is that so?' Ziva asked her son, looking away from Tony again. 'That is very kind my love, but I am fine' she kissed atop his head and it occurred to Tony that those words were probably amongst the only lies she had ever told her son.

'Are you sure?' Nathan asked, not too convinced. 'Tony thinks you clean too much'.

Ziva cast a small glare at Tony as she ruffled her son's hair. 'Well if Tony helped me then I would not have to do it all'.

'I'll help!' Nathan jumped in at the chance to be important.

Tony watched as Ziva turned to busy her son with a few chores and smiled; even though he had no idea why…just watching those two together made him feel as though all the stress of the past few weeks was worth it.

* * *

Tony awoke that same night and turned on the lamp that sat atop his bedside table on his right. He turned over and noticed two things: Nathan wasn't in their bed and Ziva was pacing back and forth.

'I did not mean to wake you' Ziva apologized right away and stopped pacing.

'What's wrong?' Tony asked as he noticed that it was after 2am.

Ziva stared at him for a moment but said nothing but noticed the look on his face as Tony sighed heavily and turned the light back off before lying back down in bed, turning to face away from her. While Tony had been thinking and realizing his feelings, Ziva had been all jumbled up and confused, which was why she was up all night, having sorted them out.

She cursed in Hebrew quickly before climbing onto the bed and she turned Tony back over so he was lying on his back with her leaning over him slightly. He was rather surprised by her actions but didn't show it and just stared at her moonlit face.

Ziva bit her lip, fidgeted slightly and then took a breath. 'I love you' she said, closing her eyes briefly and knew she probably should have given a speech or explanation to her sudden confession but it would delay her response and allow time for her to back out of it.

'You don't have to say that' Tony replied, feeling she was saying it because she was worried about their relationship or felt that she had to since he had unofficially given his own confession days ago.

'I want to' Ziva insisted. 'Because it is how I feel' she said. All the confusion gone as she knew it was true, and it showed in her eyes along with her loving expression.

Tony sat up in the bed and stared at her, his face now dimly lit by the moonlight as well. He knew he should say something but he just acted on impulse and pulled her into his arms, kissing her full on the lips and the pair lay back down, still locked in a passionate, heated kiss. As they parted Tony kissed down to her collarbone and then atop her head as she rested against him, feeling the pressures of their relationship fading.

But after another ten minutes Tony knew that Ziva still could not get to sleep and he asked her why, hoping that her declaration of love meant that she was opening up.

Ziva looked upwards at him and caught that hopeful expression, which encouraged her to tell him, to finally open up to him in some way that she could.

'I have been thinking…about the past and there is something you should know' Ziva sighed, sitting up and Tony soon copied. 'You have asked me to trust you, and I do but you were right…it is hard for me to trust a person as in Mossad there is only one person to rely on: yourself. I could not let others know what I am thinking, feeling…or even to let my guard down for a second as it could be the difference between life and death' she said, lowering her gaze. 'I learnt that in training but also the hard way; with Simon'.

'Simon?' Tony echoed, wondering who this other man was but didn't like the mention of another man moments after she told him she loved him.

'I met him about eight years ago' Ziva said softly.

'Oh, so he's…' Tony did the math.

'Yes, Simon was Nathan's father' Ziva nodded and it was then that Tony came to realize how little he knew about Nathan's father other than that he was dead, but he'd also never actually asked.

'I was myself with him' Ziva said, staring at the small amount of bed that separated them. 'I let him into my heart…' she said, feeling the emotion swelling inside her but she forced it away. 'Only to lose him'.

Unaware to the couple inside their bedroom as they discussed the man that brought about his existence, Nathan was heading towards their room, having woken up and wanted their safety. But on his way Nathan was pulled from his sleepiness as he overheard the conversation from the partially ajar doorway.

'You won't lose me' Tony told Ziva, reaching for her.

'You cannot promise that' Ziva told him, which was true…especially with their jobs.

Tony decided to change tactic and rephrased. 'I will never leave you for as long as we have this connection that we do now, like McGeek does with his computers…I will also do right by Nathan as well, because he is just as important to me now' but Tony's promises went no further as the bedroom door was pushed open and Nathan ran into the room, climbed onto the bed and hugged Tony tightly.

As the pair sat there hugging, Ziva was worried about how much Nathan had overheard as Tony's last words had obviously motivated him to run to him like that. But while she thought of the more worrying things, Tony was feeling rather warm to Nathan's hug…the same way that he felt warm when he kissed Ziva. It was like an establishment of a deep connection, of love or caring strongly for another. It brought Tony to a decision that he never in a million years thought he'd ever make…that while the boy he was now holding no longer had his biological father, Tony was going to try and be a good substitute. And that shocked Tony because it meant he saw his and Ziva's relationship as long term.

Ziva noticed his shock but joined him as he lay down in the bed, holding the now-asleep Nathan between them. But she spared only a second before questioning him to the look on his face he just had.

'We should get some sleep' Tony replied, hating the hypocritical guilt inside him but he could not bring himself to voice his decision aloud…not yet. Tony flashed his usual charming grin at her and leaned over Nathan to give her a quick but soft kiss on her lips before whispering into her ear.

'And just to make it official…in the chance that someone will make a movie about this one day…' he joked but then turned serious. 'I love you' Tony kissed Ziva's cheek and moved back to his side of the bed and closed his eyes to get some sleep, still feeling the young boy that was cuddled up beside him.

* * *

**Author's Notes: 1..2..3..awww! Heh, I really hope I wrote this realistically, because I tried so hard and debated heaps of times if I should make it later or not but given the situation, I believe it was kinda called for and it's important for this fic to progress. I am usually someone who HATES "i love you" "I love you too" first confessions and it is still rather early but there is a child involved and these pair have been through a lot, I hate feeling a little hypocritical, although Tony did unofficially say he loved her last chapter with the "love is supposed to conquer all" speech. Anyway, enough of my rambling...please review and I will update about Wednesday.**

**-Mel**

**P.s I think it's fair to say that the Tiva is really establishing strongly now :)**


	26. Between You and Me

**Author's Notes:** _I was writing my A/N here and once I was done everything and had one sentence left of the end notes, mum (who was working on the freezer) unplugged the computer by accident as the freezer plug was meant to be there. Anyway so my notes aren't as they were, I wrote heaps and such but now I can only go by memory etc so I'll do it quickly and sorry for the lach of usual enthusiasm and comments as I can't remember and I'm peeved that I didn't save it in time._  
Thanks **mia58** (True, Tony and Ziva have known each other so long and had those "buried" feelings. Your guess is as good as mine; I don't know exactly how long Tony and Ziva have been together or a "family" but several months would be rather accurate), **M E Wofford** (Yes, but Ziva opened up about certain things...she still left out that Simon and Tony have a promise in common), **Nepeace** (Thanks, I'm glad my representation was really well and if you want information on Eve, next chapter would be one of the best for that so make sure you read it), **shella-belle** (More Nathan/Tony planned. True, Nathan is old enough to realise that "daddy" isn't perfect but right now Nathan thinks he is), **Ziny-DiNozzo** (thanks!), **leobold1** (Your suggestion was funny, cuz I had something like that planned/written for this chapter anyway), **swfap88** (thanks), **NCISislikecupcakes** (Thanks, and you may have trouble hurting Simon since he is currently dead), **ZevirahWolf** (To put it simply in explanation to your confusion: Nathan is 7 going on 8. Ziva met Simon almost 9 years ago but told Tony she'd met him 8 years ago as a clue as to who he was, avoiding voicing aloud who Simon was exactly) and **libby** (That specific question will be answered soon enough but as of right now Simon is dead).

And Thanks to: **immirose** (Glad you can relate to Nathan but sorry bout your mum, I have simular problems at times. Ek did not appear as a good sigh at first, thanks for explaining and you're right about Ziva talking about Simon bieng a bif deal since she preffered to just pretend it was nothing to her when really it was. Nathan had to overhear the vows, for reasons you'll come to understand in due time. Glad you liked the ending and thanks about my dog...she's great and has been growing!) and **debook210** (I'm so thrilled to hear that Nathan is realistic and I agree: kids understand a lot more than they're given credit for. Your comments were a good read and true, and Tony is waiting to tell Ziva and Nathan of his decision because he's a bit shocked by it and is afriad of letting them down if he "promised" it. What do you mean by "if the decision will cost him in the end"? Cost him how, in your words? Thanks!). Haven't heard from **amber-chick** yet but I'm sure she's busy, oh well...I do love her double-reviews anyhow..make my day wonderful.

**Note: This chapter contains some moments and references that may be inapropriate for younger children!****

* * *

****Chapter twenty-six: Between you and me**

The following morning began as per usual, but with everyone sleeping in several hours longer than they normally would. Gibbs had told them the previous night that they only had to come into work if they picked up any leads or were required to take a case if any other teams were unavailable.

But as Sunday came around, bright and early, Gibbs had developed a plan and showed up on their doorstep an hour before sunset later that day. He explained how Nathan was staying with him for the night and before he had even been given the chance to say anything more, Ziva was getting very cranky. Gibbs then (with reluctant help from Tony) calmed her down before she inflicted bodily harm (it was also good that Nathan was upstairs playing). Gibbs was able to explain how he wanted Ziva and Nathan to be separated under non-threatening situations before it became unhealthy, and Nathan had been making his way downstairs when he overheard.

'I don't wanna go!' was the first thing out of the young boy's mouth as he ran over to his mother and clung to her fearfully.

'Is this really necessary?' Ziva asked Gibbs for what must have been the third time. She turned to Tony for support but he shook his head and shrugged as Gibbs did have a point but that didn't mean Tony liked it any more than she did.

'Please let me stay!' Nathan pleaded and sniffed loudly before Gibbs could say anything.

Ziva opened her mouth to complain and argue some more but then looked down at her son and took into attention the amount of grip he had on her. She trusted Agent Gibbs with her life and knew Nathan looked up to the man as well, yet the fear in his eyes and tone made her worry that perhaps it was becoming unhealthy to fear any form of separation. Ziva swallowed some air quickly even though it felt like she was swallowing lead and took a breath, turning to her boss.

'Fine' Ziva sighed and Nathan clung tighter to her.

Tony exchanged a slightly relieved but also worried expression with Gibbs as Ziva crouched down to comfort Nathan after being assured by Gibbs that he will have three other trustworthy people with him.

'Do not worry, you will be fine' Ziva kissed atop her son's head and straightened up. 'Agent Gibbs will take very good care of you' she nodded and turned to Gibbs, casting the elder man a glare as if to say "_or else_".

Nathan nodded sadly and looked over at Tony, hoping that he would tell him he didn't have to leave.

'Don't worry tough guy, Gibbs is a really scary man to the bad guys…you'll be in safe hands' Tony flashed an encouraging smile and nod. Nathan sighed in defeat and turned to stand beside Tony as his mother headed upstairs to pack his things.

'If you need to say goodnight or you just want to talk then give us a call' Ziva said firmly to her son as they hugged goodbye.

'I will' Nathan mumbled, still not very happy that he had to leave his mother and Tony for a whole night.

'See ya' Tony added as Nathan turned to leave but the boy paused and ran to him, hugging him the best he could with his height disadvantage. Tony ruffled his hair and stood beside Ziva as Gibbs took Nathan's outstretched hand into his own and the pair left.

'I can not do this' Ziva said as she saw her boy leaving but a firm hand on her arm prevented her from running after him.

'You can, it'll be good for you both' Tony said, hiding the fact that he too was slightly nervous about not having Nathan around but had full confidence in Gibbs.

Ziva bit her lip as Gibbs's car drove away and she quickly shut the front door and leaned her back against it, closing her eyes slightly in dread.

Tony stared at her and wondered if it would be considered safe to approach her or if a distraction would be a better idea.

'So…you up for some pizza?' he asked, remaining his casual self as he reached for the phone.

'I am not hungry' Ziva replied stubbornly, looking annoyed at him as she re-opened her eyes.

'Pizza it is' Tony nodded and dialed a number he knew off by heart.

Ziva rolled her eyes and seated herself on the couch in annoyance. Gibbs had "taken" her son away and Tony was ignoring her attempts to be miserable about it.

'Okay, pizza is on the way' Tony told her as he hung up the phone but got no response, which made him laugh at how she was behaving like a child by turning away from him and crossing her arms. He didn't think it was going to be too bad once Ziva got her mind off her son's absence and then they could watch a movie without having to check the volume was quiet or it didn't have too high a rating. It was just the two of them so they could do whatever they wanted without worry about disturbing a child, or getting up early because of a routine or…but then a thought occurred to Tony and he did a rethink; he and Ziva had the entire night to themselves.

'What?' Ziva asked as she snuck a glance at him and saw a grin on his face as he watched her.

'Nothing' Tony smirked and sat beside her. 'Just…realized we can do whatever we want tonight...with the exception of hunting down Gibbs' he added quickly at her look.

'So?' Ziva shrugged, still annoyed but then her expression changed as she made a connection to his words and the grin on his face. 'Oh' she said and looked away, almost as if to conceal a blush.

* * *

Nathan stared nervously out of the car window, remembering how Gibbs had said there would be three trustworthy people with them so he felt rather calm but nervous all the same.

'Where are we?' he asked worriedly as they parked outside a very unfamiliar apartment building.

'Picking up McGee, you don't mind do you?' Gibbs asked casually, falling into a parental mode but felt he was more than a grandparent to Nathan than anything else as Tony was like an annoying son to him and Ziva a independant daughter that not-so-recently became a member of their family.

The boy just shrugged and said nothing until McGee got into the car with his overnight bags and greeted the boy rather cheerfully.

Gibbs then picked up dinner for five and drove home, where McGee helped Nathan with his bags and tried to hide his shock that Ziva had actually given her son up for the night and that Gibbs was still breathing.

Just as the small group were heading towards the house, another dark car parked outside and non-other than FBI Agent Fornell got out.

'You're late, Tobias' Gibbs smirked at him.

'None-sense, with your driving?' Fornell smirked back and as Gibbs raised his hand to the doorknob it opened to reveal Abby with a large smile plastered all over her face.

'Good evening, I wish to welcome you to the house of Gibbs' Abby said and moved aside to let everyone in. 'You're late' she added to Fornell, making Gibbs smile humorously at the look on the FBI Agent's face.

After the group settled to eat, Nathan found himself calming down while the worry began to ease off and before long he was rather enjoying himself. He listened to Abby's jokes and McGee comments, and then Fornell talking about his daughter until Gibbs changed the subject to boats and the others complained. Nathan waited until Abby was finished talking about something he didn't understand before he took the chance to bring up a topic of his own., now feeling more confident with being a part of the group.

* * *

The pizza was long-gone and the movies had ended; now Ziva and Tony sat curled up on the couch under a warm rug with their only light being the TV and a dull lamp on the end table.

'Tell me something personal' Tony then said to Ziva, breaking the silence. 'Something no one else knows about you'.

'And what do you wish to do with this information?' Ziva eyed him suspiciously.

'Laugh, mock…' Tony joked but then raised his eyebrows at her. 'I won't tell'.

'I do not believe you' Ziva replied but took a breath but tried to think of something as Tony shifted on the couch to get more comfortable. Ziva ran through many memories that no one knew about her but had trouble selecting one in particular so decided on something that would be more useful to Tony rather than the more darker parts of her past. 'I do not want to leave America' she said and he looked momentarily surprised but remained listening. 'I prefer NCIS to Mossad'.

'You do?' Tony wasn't expecting to hear that but knew what she was doing: telling him something she hadn't told anyone else but not in relation to her past or directly related to herself but more involving the things around her. 'Alright…let's play 20-questions' he changed his mind.

'What is that?' Ziva wondered.

'We ask each other 20 questions in turns and each of us have to answer them all honestly but with "_yes_" or "_n_o" responses only' he said and noticed her nervous look but felt relieved when she nodded in agreement.

'I will start' Ziva said quickly, beating him to it. 'Did you join NCIS for a reason other than justice?'

'Yes' Tony shrugged after thinking about it for a moment. 'Can you really dance?'

'Yes' Ziva replied, thinking his answer over but brushed the possibilities aside. 'Did you really lose your virginity at the age of 15?'

'Yes' Tony replied and frowned at the weird question. 'I feel you're at an advantage though, being a Mossad lie-detector and all' he sighed. 'Um , Do you really hate you father?'

Ziva's jaw clenched slightly at that question and her eyes narrowed as she answered slowly. 'Yes…' she said and redirected the same question at him, now feeling that while "_20 questions_" weren't enough it could also turn out to be too many.

--

But after leaving the topic of their fathers, the pair turned to ask lighter questions and it did become quite fun and educational by the time they reached the last few.

'Have you even fallen in love, before me?' Ziva asked but still had a little trouble reminding herself that Tony did love her; his name and that word did not usually fall into the same sentence.

'Yes' Tony said and pondered on his next question carefully. 'Do you ever think about our future?'

Ziva stared at his expression and saw it wasn't just a curious question for him, there was something else hidden in his gaze but she could not identify it…he was getting better at slipping through her "lie detector" as he called it. 'Yes' she replied and noticed they seldom answered anything with "no".

Tony breathed a little in relief that he wasn't the only one but felt a little busted as he heard her next question…her last question.

'Do you think that one day you will consider Nathan as your son?' Ziva asked, taking advantage of the fact that the questions had to be answered honestly.

'No' Tony told her and she looked a bit shocked but mostly annoyed, as though he'd rudely rejected her for something so he knew he had to elaborate. 'I already do'.

'What?' Ziva's eyes widened in surprise. 'You do? Since when?'

'I don't know' Tony said a bit too quickly and she frowned.

'You are lying' she observed.

'Your 20-questions were up' Tony side-stepped her statement and asked his last question but felt he needed to redirect away from the previous one before a sudden thought occurred to him and he was filled with curiosity and a mixture of other less-pleasant emotions. 'Do you hate Ari for what he has done, even though he was your brother?'

Ziva wondered why he'd asked that but glanced away and really had to think about that one. 'I do not know' she replied. 'I did not know Kate, but I do not like that he…shot her. He helped me find Nathan until our father intervened and he also tried to shoot Gibbs. But he was my brother. I cannot answer that question, it is both. Why do you ask?'

'Just the way Nathan talks about him' Tony shrugged and shifted on the couch again, making himself inches closer to Ziva as she'd showered recently and he could smell a flowery scent in her hair that was rather enchanting along with the deep stare they seemed to be sharing.

'He is a child and does not understand' Ziva replied and changed the topic barely a second later. 'It is past his bedtime, he did not call' she said a little sadly.

'Maybe he didn't need to' Tony replied, brushing some hair behind her ears that had fallen over her deep hazel eyes.

Ziva's breathing changed pattern slightly at his touch, feeling Goosebumps spreading down her neck and arms under his intense stare and softness of his hands. She lost her thread of thought and tried not to calculate how long it had been since she had slept with someone but then had to also not work out how long it had been for Tony as well. Ziva felt she was doing something wrong by pushing aside the worry she had for her son as Tony read the need in her eyes and moved even closer so there was little room between them and the blanket slipped off them onto the floor.

'You know…we can sleep in tomorrow' Tony said, his breath sending shivers down her spine as he whispered against the side of her cheek. It surprised her as well because normally she could control her responses to everything but there was something about Tony that just seemed so different to any other man she'd encountered. Perhaps she was right in considering him her soul mate?

'That is true' she said as her hands snaked up his chest and then wrapped around his neck, moments before his lips came crashing down onto hers and the passion erupted between them but Tony pulled away and stood up, pulling Ziva with him.

Ziva did not like the idea of being carried to the bedroom but realized that if he didn't then they would end up making love on the couch or floor and a bed would be more desirable. As he dropped her lightly on their bed and then gently landed over her with a mischievous grin, the lack of sexual activity began to override their senses and in and instance their lips had contacted again while the hands fumbled with clothing and their lungs fought for oxygen.

* * *

It was already past 10:30pm at night when Fornell and Gibbs broke off their conversation about the kidnappers and looked over from the table to the living room where the other three members of their group were. McGee had his head rested back against the couch while Abby lay curled up beside him and was using his lap acting as her pillow. Seated on the floor in front of them in his blue pyjamas sat Nathan as he continued to watch a movie on Abby's portable DVD player. The elder men shared an amused look as the boy seemed a bit tired judging by the darkness around his eyes but sheer determination and worry kept him on full alert.

After receiving approval from Gibbs, Fornell signaled Nathan to join them and he came over, unaware of the strategy that was being put into play.

'Aren't you tired?' Fornell asked the boy as Gibbs just sipped his coffee and examined the youngster's expression.

'Nope' Nathan replied so easily that one would think he was telling the truth.

'He's learnt more from his mother than he realizes' Gibbs said so quietly that only Fornell overheard.

'Agent Gibbs was just telling me about how brave you were running away from those kidnappers' Fornell said and Nathan shifted slightly in his chair but seemed a little honored by the praise. 'And you're still being brave'.

'Thanks' Nathan replied, not sure what else to say.

Gibbs felt a bit guilty for "ambushing" Nathan like this but they had to; this boy was there only link to the kidnappers and with all the secrets he was keeping...one of them was bound to help. But the longer Nathan kept them to himself the better he would get at hiding them and that worried Gibbs.

'You also helped identify the kidnappers' Fornell continued. 'But you never mentioned the man that…chased you' he phrased, referring to the man that Nathan had shot moments before being found.

'I had never seen him before' Nathan verified what the elder men had been thinking. 'And I just want you to throw them in jail' he shrugged.

'Oh believe me' Gibbs added. 'So do we' he smirked slightly and encouraged a small smile from Nathan before Fornell continued.

'How are you feeling now?' Fornell wondered as nicely as he could. 'Since we have two of them in custody, they won't be going near you ever again'.

'I know you got Bruce, who is the other one?' Nathan asked, his alertness rising even more.

'Jack' Gibbs replied.

'Oh' Nathan said, not looking surprised at all. 'He's a bit dumb'.

'More than a bit' Gibbs added, sipping his coffee to hide his smirk about how Jack was still locked in that interrogation room at NCIS and refusing to talk.

'Well I wasn't there when you told NCIS about the kidnappers, could you fill me in?' Fornell asked, hoping he wasn't pushing it too much. 'I would very much like to catch them too'.

'Will you throw them in jail?' Nathan wondered.

'Erm, yes' Fornell nodded, although he'd much rather shoot them.

'Good' Nathan nodded and thought for a moment. 'You know Bruce, big and mean…and Jack is stupid. But Jack was a driver and had the boring jobs. It's Kenny you gotta worry about, he's scary and likes to blow things up. He's Jack's brother but they fight a lot' Nathan shrugged. 'Spike is weird, he eats fruit a lot and acts odd all the time'.

'How odd?' Gibbs wondered. 'What did he do?'

'He was nice to me sometimes, but then other times he was mean; he'd help me when I was really hurt but then he'd take things from me or yell at me' Nathan shrugged. 'But like I said…Kenny is the big trouble. He puts bombs in parks and then we leave and they blow up'.

'And what about Eve?' Fornell asked, getting down to the true point of the conversation/interrogation.

Gibbs watched as Nathan tensed at the mentioning of Eve and took charge.

'Nathan, why are you afraid of her the most?' Gibbs asked, his tone softening. 'I won't tell anyone' he added, hoping the boy will open up to him.

Nathan looked hesitant and turned to Fornell suspiciously.

'I left my phone in the other room' Fornell said; picking up on the gaze and left the room to give them space.

'It'll be our secret' Gibbs added to Nathan as though nothing had happened.

Nathan lowered his gaze and thought about it for a moment and then got off his chair, walking to stand right beside Gibbs and spoke in a whisper.

'Eve isn't her real name' Nathan said, feeling scared to just be thinking about her but he trusted Gibbs, he knew that he wasn't going to get in trouble for as long as he had Gibbs, his mother, Tony or NCIS around.

'What is her real name?' Gibbs encouraged, trying not to get too hopeful but he was on the edge of a breakthrough.

Nathan sighed and then spoke even quieter. 'Agent Gibbs, I don't know why they took me away from my mama but I think Eve did it for a different reason than the others. She used to come into my room a lot...' he swallowed but built up the courage to continue. 'Sometimes she would just talk to me about stuff or teach me English and Hebrew. But other times she was mean and told me what to do before they went to blow things up. I don't like her…she's the boss' he shivered slightly but then took a deep gulp of air before letting out a shaky breath. 'Her name is…Eva and she worked with my mama before they took me away from her'.

* * *

'Wow' Tony breathed out heavily as he and Ziva lay awake sweating in their bed.

'Yes' Ziva agreed breathlessly, knowing that they were both experienced in the sexual area but wasn't so sure if that was the reason for it being a lot more than she had been expecting for her first time to sleep with Tony.

'That was…' Tony tried to talk again as he turned to rest on an elbow and stare at her.

'Indescribable' Ziva finished for him, turning to stare at him as well but didn't move.

'That's a big word for you Zee-Vah' Tony said, not sure what else to say.

'You think I can't handle a big word, Tony?' Ziva asked but her tone and look indicated she wasn't actually referring to the word she'd said.

'Oh, I believe you can handle many things' he smirked back and she rose to lean her face right in front of his

'Is that so?' she whispered and kissed his lips softly while moving her fingers over the back of his neck.

'Well, I'm still not convinced' Tony joked. 'I think I will need to see enough evidence before I can really judge-' but he never got to finished his teasing because Ziva managed to gracefully swing each her legs on either side of his hip and press him against the bed so she was now seated on top of him, staring down into his eyes with a glint of mischief.

The pair just remained still, staring at each other with smirks and teasing glances before at the same time they leaned towards the other and were once again locked into an affectionate and loving embrace as they kissed.

'The first time was great…' Tony gasped as they broke apart their lips for a moment.

'We needed it' Ziva agreed but wasn't sure if she should be annoyed or surprised as Tony regained control and flipped her back onto her back with him now on top. 'Think you can handle being in control, Tony?' she mocked slightly as he looked determined.

'Yeah' he replied and kissed down her collarbone, smirking slightly as she let out a groan when he reached her sensitive spot right at the base of her neck. 'Think you can handle me being in control?' he whispered into her ear.

'Like you said, Tony: I can handle many things' Ziva said in a sly tone and then the battle for who was to be on top for round two began…

* * *

**Author's Notes: Okay so I've taken some deep breathes and the incident that lost my notes before has passed, stupid electricity-needing computer! Anyway, I utterly forget what I put here so just gonna say that you know the drill: please review! I was going to update on Wednesday but I didn't not recieve all of my reviews in my emails and thought I only got a few short ones so I waited and then discovered I hadn't received them. I will update say around...Monday? Tuesday? So yeah. If you have any questions etc please let me know! Also while this chapter gave more info to Eve, it's not exactly as much as some would like but next chapter should make up for it in that department. Plus this chapter was longer than usual.**

**Anyways...review and I'll update soon!**

**-Mel **


	27. Mossad Officer Eva Jose

**Author's Notes**: I feel very loved, or at least that my fic is :). Thanks to my reviewers: **Ziny-DiNozzo** (thanks and I don't think anyone will be interupting the pair just yet :P), **mia58** (Ziva and Eva do know each other, Ziva just isn't aware of it yet as they haven't pinpointed who she is...but that will change soon. Glad you like the Tony/Ziva), **shella-belle** (Fornell and Gibbs do work together and I do plan on brining Fornell back later. Nathan's opening up may only be a little but they have her real name now so it will help, hense the title of this chapter), **Nepeace** (Thanks!), **swfap88** (thanks!), **M E Wofford** (Glad you liked it all, and the Tiva is really picking up now), **NCISislikecupcakes** (Will have more Nathan/Gibbs in the future, thanks), **leobold1** (yeah, no days off for them. Nathan helps with the boat while making his own thing, so that will come around. The case is indeed heating up, certainly as of this chapter), **Tivafangirl1** (thanks), **musicalsweettie89** (thanks!), **djmichaels** (heh, thanks!), **Eternalconfusion** (thanks, I will!) and **libby** (Gibbs was a great dad, and I plan to use that point to make him a great grandad :P. You know, you'reprobably the closest to one of her reasons for taking and keeping Nathan, you're not pinpointed on it or even majorly on one reason as she has many, but you're the closest so far, congrats...and no I won't confirm or deny...you'll find out soon enough!).

And a huge thanks to **immirose** (Ek=good, gotcha :P. That was actually Nathan's second time at Gibbs' place but Tony/Ziva were there last time and yes, this may mean he'll want to stay there more. Glad you liked the Gibbs/Fornell team-up. This chapter title answers that...Eve is Eva and she worked at Mossad with Ziva for sure. Glad you loved all the Tony/Ziva stuff. Thanks), **debook210** (Glad you liked the seperation thing, I think they all needed it. Gibbs/Fornell sneak attack? Thanks, glad you loved it. And the idea for 20-questions came from me simply trying to think of a way in which Tony/Ziva could have a heart-to-heart about some questions but with the confidence of the truth without the added pressure and I wanted Tony to bring it up so it had to be within his character and it sort of came to me :). Eve/Eva will be explained really soon! Thanks) and of course...**amber-chick!** ( Sorry about your computer. If Ziva glared at it it would behave...if Gibbs did it would probably self-destruct, lol. Yikes season 5 is out?! Gah can't get it til early June, pfth. As usual I have so much to say to you but can't put it all here or it will go on forever. I am loving your reviews and very thankful for all your thoughts and comments, for the sake of room...sadly...I will just answer your questions but know I adore every part of your reviews even the off-topic bits sometimes :P. Thanks about my god too, she's great but very hyper now. Tony and Ziva will be translated to "Nathan's Parents" soon enough, the wait won't be too long! I'm glad it was all realistic. "Grandpa" will be thrown around later, and yes I beleive Tony will have something to do with it. I hate "20-questions" in fics too but this was the best thing that fit, glad you agree. "Just thrown them in jail" is certainly what Nathan thinks first but Tony/Ziva/Gibbs last hehe. And what exactly is your perception of Eve? I would really like to know who you think she is etc, before and after this chapter because if that chgnaes you preception...this chapter should too. Normally I have more to say but that was all directly fic-related, should give you a PM after I get your other reply back :P).

**Note:** "Jose" is pronounced: _Joe-See_, just for future reference or if anyone reads aloud :P

* * *

**Chapter twenty-seven: Mossad Officer Eva Jose**

It had taken a while to convince Nathan to go to bed but his sleepiness soon won over. By the following morning, the other four were already awake when Nathan crawled out of bed and wandered downstairs. The moment he reached the bottom step however, Abby appeared and steered him back upstairs to get dressed and ready for the delicious pancakes she'd made for everyone.

'Done' Nathan replied as he left the room in a pair of army pants and a red shirt which made Abby smile and giggle slightly. 'What?'

'You look so much like your mom, it's cute' Abby replied and steered him downstairs.

'Um, thanks?' Nathan shrugged as he sat across from McGee at the kitchen table but soon became a bit nervous. 'Where is Agent Gibbs and…the FBI guy?' he looked around for them.

'FBI Agent Fornell had to leave' McGee replied as he sipped his orange juice Abby had made with the statement that Nathan couldn't have coffee so no one else could have coffee. 'And Agent Gibbs is just downstairs working on his boat'.

'Why isn't he having breakfast too?' Nathan wondered.

McGee cast a glance at Abby and then shrugged, making Nathan narrow his eyes and stare at him when he spoke.

'I'm not sure'.

'Yes you are' Nathan frowned and crossed his arms but Abby just giggled even more before distracting him by placing a plate of pancakes in front of him and a large glass of juice. 'I didn't know you could cook' Nathan said and thanked her before reaching for his fork hungrily.

'Oh, I can cook' Abby said in an almost mysterious way. She then made a signal to McGee and he nodded, getting up to head into the living room. 'Um, Nathan?' Abby sat in the chair McGee had previously occupied. 'We need to talk' she nodded seriously but Nathan liked the energy she gave off and found himself not worrying too much.

'Whaf about?' he mumbled through chews.

'I know you and Gibbs have a secret about what you told him involving Eve' Abby said and quickly continued at his alarmed expression. 'But he only told be because Gibbs and computers don't get alone and he needs my help with that' she explained and he nodded while sipping at his juice. Taking his reaction as a good sign, Abby continued. 'Now I'm going to use my trusty laptop to find out more about this Eva lady, okay?' she winked and he shrugged, more interested in his hunger for the time being. 'When you're done you can go see Gibbs in the basement, okay?' she called out as she sat beside McGee and turned her computer on. 'He's a cool kid' Abby added to McGee as he read over some files.

'He reminds me of Ziva' McGee replied. 'It's kind of scary because he reminds me of Tony at times too'.

'I know, it's so sweet. You know, anyone would think he was Tony and Ziva's son not just Ziva's' Abby smiled as she researched Eva on her computer while instant-messaging a friend but then a new IM came up with the username "fruitfly".

'That's weird' Abby frowned.

'What is?' McGee wondered and looked over expecting to see a computer glitch or something but was also surprised by the message. He then quickly got his own laptop and hooked it up to hers to back-trace the mysterious person.

'Morning' Gibbs said as he came out of the basement in hopes of some coffee while Abby was too busy to press her point about her "_no coffee if Nathan can't have any_" rule.

'Gibbs! Gibbs!' Abby said quickly before Nathan could reply and the boss went to see what she was pointing at on her screen.

--

**Fruitfly: **Hello NCIS. I know who you are, and by now I assume you know me although the boy would refer to me as "Spike".

--

'Should I say something?' Abby wondered as she looked up at him.

'McGee, take Nathan to the basement…have him paint the chair he was helping me with last time' Gibbs said urgently.

'But I'm…' McGee looked at the trace he was running but got up as Gibbs glared at him and took Nathan away from the scene.

'I can multi-task' Abby said and continued McGee's trace while answering Spike's Instant Message.

--

**Absolute****: **What do you want, Spencer?

**Fruitfly:** Ah so you do know me.

--

'Yes we know you, you stupid kidnapping…foul…' Abby spoke aloud as she went to type.

'Abby' Gibbs warned and she sighed before typing again.

--

**Absolute****: **Get to the point.

**Fruitfly:** You have captured two of us and we're now on the run. I don't know if Eve is aware, but I am sure you've at least got her real name now as well. She was so convinced that the boy won't talk but I know the David's too and he would have.

**Absolute****: **Why do you want him? Is this about Ziva?

--

After Abby's reply (Gibbs advised not to verify Nathan confessing who Eve was), there was a few minutes of no reply and they were worried that he'd gone but soon a reply appeared and then he truly did sign off and there was no trace.

'What is that supposed to mean?' Abby wondered, looking up at Gibbs while he growled.

'That someone knows more than they're telling!' Gibbs said angrily and pulled out his cell phone while Abby read Spike's last reply again. If only she had been able to trace it!

--

**Fruitfly:** _The boy was kidnapped because of Ziva, Ari and their father…for what they did to Eva._

* * *

Eve came out of the bathroom still drying her hair with a towel. She glanced at Spike to see him rested casually on their motel bed with his laptop. She peaked at the screen as she walked past to where her bag was and saw he was just surfing random things.

'Anything interesting?' she wondered casually while stifling a yawn with the back of her hand.

'Not really' Spike shrugged and glanced at her, admiring her figure for a moment and then looked down at his watch. 'So what now?'

'Now…' Eve pulled out a gun from under some clothes and checked it was loaded. 'We hunt down Kenny'.

'Sounds like a plan' Spike smirked and closed his laptop.

--

Nathan and McGee soon left the basement as Abby called them up and instantly they noticed a stressed Gibbs.

'What's going on?' McGee asked but was shocked as Nathan nervously grabbed the hem of his shirt for some safety.

'Nothing' Abby replied for Nathan's sake and shared a "tell you later" look with McGee before she corouched down to Nathan. 'Hey, I'm really really sorry but we may have to tell NCIS the secret'.

'It's okay' Nathan nodded as he figured it would happen if he so much of said her name anyway. He was still terrified if Eve found out he'd told them but there was no going back now; the damage was done. He had kept the secret so guarded not just out of fear though but for another reason…

--

'_I presume you know what a secret is, Nathan?' Ari asked as he sat beside him on his bed and was a bit caught off guard by how low it sank. He cast it a disapproving scowl at it but directed his attention back to Nathan._

'_Yes' Nathan nodded, moving closer to his uncle._

'_When your mother finds you it would be best to keep her a secret'__ Ari glanced over at Eve while she was rather a distance away on the phone. _

'_But why?' Nathan wondered, confused as to why his uncle wanted him to keep a secret about someone so mean and bad._

'_I just need you to trust me'__ Ari replied and patted his back softly. 'Can you do that?'_

'_I think so' Nathan nodded, reaching for his uncle again. 'Will mama really find me?'_

'_I have no doubt' Ari smiled but it wasn't a happy grin, just a reassuring one._

'_I believe you' four-year-old Nathan nodded. 'And I won't tell anyone'._

* * *

It was early afternoon when Ziva and Tony were called in to NCIS and found that Nathan was there as well which made them both very nervous. Upon arrival no one said anything which alerted Ziva to why and she took Nathan up to stay with Abby. The moment she re-entered the squad room she demanded to know what was going on…however she spotted a picture of a blonde woman in dark clothes on the Plasma screen and frowned suspiciously at them all.

'Why do you have a picture of a Mossad Officer?' she wondered and didn't like how everyone turned to look at her in shock.

'What?' McGee asked. 'But…she was one of the kidnappers. Eva Jose, codenamed: Eve'.

Ziva snarled but looked at the image even closer, very confused by it but also a sense of betrayal made her even madder.

'I want you to tell me everything you know about this woman' Gibbs stepped closer and had a firm stare fixed on his face.

'Um…' Ziva thought for a moment, staring harder at the screen until the answers came to her. 'We knew each other for a while and she was a friend of Ari's' Ziva remembered. 'She started at Mossad about a year after I did, Ari was rather fond of the information she found for him involving Hamas…' realization then hit her. 'She officially left Mossad a week before Nathan was taken from me! How could I have not known?' she snapped and felt ashamed.

'It's not your fault' Tony jumped in and then turned to his boss. 'Do you think Mossad is involved? I mean Ziva, Ari and now this chick?'

'No, Mossad is not directly involved' Ziva replied. 'That I would have known'.

'Are you sure about that, Ziva?' Gibbs stared at her and then turned to answer his phone, leaving her standing more confused and unsure than she was before.

'He's back' Gibbs announced and headed for Abby's lab.

'Who?' Ziva wondered as McGee rushed off as well but Tony shrugged, not knowing who they were talking about either.

--

'He just sighed in' Abby said as they entered the lab and Ziva first noticed that Nathan was sitting in distance listening to her IPod. Then she turned to Abby's screen and McGee explained about Spike making contact.

'This is the second time you have gone behind our backs with information!' Ziva growled as Tony frowned and fixated his attention on the screen.

'How did he even get your address?' McGee wondered as he took up the seat beside Abby and started typing at warp speed.

--

**Fruitfly: **Hello again

**Absolute****:**Are you going to stay and talk this time?

**Fruitfly: **Nope.

**Absolute****:** Why are you even contacting us? Are you going to turn yourself in?

--

'Isn't that a little too hopeful, Abs?' Tony wondered.

'Well…what else was I supposed to say?' Abby shrugged. 'Gibbs told me I can't call him names'.

--

**Fruitfly:** Give myself up? Why should I? Besides, there is no fun in that. This is the last time I will contact you…as for why I am even bothering to establish this connection, that is for me to know but I doubt you'll ever find out.

**Absolute****:**Well what do you want?

**Fruitfly:** Same as always…the boy.

**Absolute****:** Well you're not getting him!! You'll be dead before you can try

**Fruitfly: **Wrong. We already have, or didn't you notice?

--

'The unknown shooter!' Tony said. 'From when Bruce showed up…a sniper shot him in the ankle'.

'But why would he shoot someone he's working with?' McGee wondered.

'Maybe he wanted the money they were being paid?' Tony shrugged. 'Or the glory of it, I don't know! Ask him'.

--

**Absolute****:** Why did you shoot your own teammate?

**Fruitfly:** It was personal and he went against our plans. Say hello to Ziva for me.

--

And with that, Spike was gone.

'Anything?' Tony asked McGee while Ziva just remained quiet as she stared at Abby's screen.

'No, still untraceable' McGee sighed and leaned back in his chair. 'This doesn't make any sense'.

'He is confusing us' Ziva finally spoke up with confidence. 'We know who he is, yet he is communicating to place question on his guilt'.

'I'm hungry' Nathan's voice broke through the serious conversation as he removed the earpieces and approached his mother, looking up at her with a worried expression. Ziva knew he was picking up on their own reactions but he did seem genuinely hungry and she needed the excuse to clear her head and that was hard to do around a child.

'I will go and get you something to eat' Ziva placed a hand on her son's head while smiling at him. 'Stay with Tony until I get back' Ziva added as she walked out of the lab.

'She trusts you with her kid' Abby smirked at Tony.

'So? She trusts all of us, beside we're a couple…we live together-' Tony defended but Abby changed the end of his sentence.

'Sleep together' she smirked and Gibbs decided it was time for a refill of coffee once he saw the slightly guilty look on his senior agent's face.

'What's the big deal about sleeping together?' Nathan wondered, not understanding that it stood for something else.

'You will find out one day' Tony tried not to laugh at the boy's confusion while he led him towards the elevator.

'Why can't I find out now?' Nathan was saying as McGee and Abby glanced at each other with smiles.

'Your mother will kill me' Tony replied but it just triggered more questions.

'I wonder how he's going to get out of that one' Abby laughed, ignoring the fact that she started it. 'They make a good couple…you were right putting them in your book'.

'Oh yeah' McGee grinned. 'I have the best "told you so" over them, now'.

--

Not far from NCIS, Ziva entered a small take-away store to get something for Nathan, but a strong feeling of being watched was bugging her and she soon became rather edgy about it. She paused to give the place a look around and to examine the people on the streets along with inside the store but didn't find anyone too suspicious or that appeared to be staring. Ziva tried to shake it off as she ordered the food and then turned to leave the store but the moment she stepped outside she knew her mistake.

Strong hands grabbed her and Ziva discarded the food to fight them off but a van was too close-by and her captor was well trained, which worried her even more. As she was shoved inside and a gun was pointed right at her but in enough distance that Ziva could no kick it out of the hand that held it.

'Hello Ziva David' Eve frowned at her, gripping the gun even tighter. 'How is Nathan?'

* * *

**Author's Notes: Okay! Who here still likes Eva? Lol. More details from her next chapter as we begin to change places slightly...seeing things a bit more from her pointof view will help you all understand her more, the part where Eva got up and saw Spencer on the bed was the start of more scenes of those two, more in-dept and where you'll get to see what they're thinking and going through as well. Yes they are bad guys but everyone wants to know why and how deep...answers aren't far now. If anyone is wondering why the chapters have been shorter lately it's all because of chapter 29, I knew it was going to be as long as it is so I had to shorten those before it, not to worry...I think everyone will like that chapter in some way...it's got a lot happening. But next chapter is 28 and I know that y'all will like some things in it...answers, moments etc :). Eva has Ziva...this can't end too well.**

**Anyway, please review as I will be updating Thursday. Fridat I am busy as my 10yr sister has made it to the cross country just before the state one...hopefully she'll go all the way but she's done awesome so far!**

**You know the drill, looking forward to reviews and since I will be updating soon... :P. Oh and what does everyone think of Eva and Spike? Before we get to reavealing mode, I would like to know whatcha all think...if you don't mind sharing with me :)**

**-Mel**


	28. Should I Be Worried?

**Author's Notes:** So many reviews yet this chapter isn't very long...but oh well since chapter 29 should make up for that for sure!! Thanks: **M E Wofford** (Really? Nothing at all will make you like Eve? Okay, what about Eva? They're the same person yet two different people at the same time. Eve is a cover, Eva is the real person. The way she treated Nathan was certainly a reason to hate her, treating a child like that! But don't forget...she has a boss too and I can dare say they may be worst. Half the reason Spike contacted NCIS was stated by Ziva involing his guilt), **ninja girl** (thanks), **mia58** (I do feel rather evil for leaving more questions than answers, but the wait won't be long! I promise. But yeah...it is a good tactic I think :P. Ziva kick Eve's butt? May be hard if Eve is a Mossad trained crimminal), **riverat73** (thanks), **Ziny-DiNozzo** (You love that Eve has taken Ziva? Okay! lol, cool. Thanks), **NCISislikecupcakes** ("fruitfly" was just the only name I could ever consider giving him heh. You're not a hateful person...Eve has done some rather nasty thinks), **Nepeace** (True, everyone does know so little about Eve/Eva. Yes!! Exactly! She wants Ziva to know who she is but at the same time she doesn't, phrased perfectly. What Ziva/Ari etc did to Eve isn't so much the reason she kidnapped Nathan, it's more the reason she took the job of kidnapping Nathan. I know that probably doesn't make much sense but it is very a important fact. Eva and Ari's connection will be revealed next chapter!), **missbodee** (thanks) and also to my unnamed reviewer: thanks!

Also, of course...thanks to **Amber-chick** (I always hate that one part of my fic...the lack of McGee and Abby in it, but I have been constantly looking for anyway to put them in but you're right, Tony/Ziva/Nathan is the main plot as is Eva/Spencer(Spike). Oh and one point I would like to make clear...Spike is NOT turning against Eva, only Eve. Yes they are the same person but Eve isn't who she really is, Eva is her true personality and not her cover...her mask in some way. Again I'm confusing but I can't give it away just yet as it's close and also for the readers to figure out the difference, which will help once you all know her more. Ari only knew where Nathan was on 3 occasions in the 5 years, everyone has seen one of those times so far. There is more to the kidnapping than just Eve/Eva indeed as she was hired for it. "What does Ari know that he doesn't want Ziva to know Eva"? that my friend, is because of their connection. If Ziva knew of the connection, it would change a LOT...it could even change their entire lives and everything they'd ever known...big huh? Eva wasn't/isn't Hamas. One thing my readers also aren't aware of is that while Spencer and Eva [I prefer to call them that as it's who they really are and not their covers as Spike and Eve] also have a lot of questions. They may seem so clear, organised and smart but they too have questions and they too have a side of the story...I'm excited to reveal it very soon), **debook210** (lol "evil woman of the hour" nice. Yes Spike knew who to talk to...one may wonder though, why Abby specifically? Yes Tony is in for a lot as a father, this chapter has some of that too. Again, the assumption that Ziva will do Eve/Eva damage when she too is trained under Mossad tsk tsk :P. I'm so glad to hear that the fic makes your day, I feel the same way about reviews!), **leobold1** (You love Eva? Wow, that's cool...me too! Heh but I know her and you don't as well, so it's nice to see she has someone who likes her! True, true...Eva has nothing to really gain from kidnapping Ziva...so why do it? And yes a "snake in the grass" is one way to describe Ziva! And about Spike? Ah there is the question! "Why Abby?" indeed. You're right, Gibbs is understandable as "Gibbs" and "computers" aren't meant to be in the same sentence together. As for why not McGee? Well...think of it this way...what is different about Abby compared to Gibbs and McGee? Gender? The fact she's not a Special Agent? She has access to a lot of resources? She works with evidence? Any of them could be it or none at all, I'll leave that for the readers to figure out. I'm glad you loved the characterizations!) and **immirose** (Thanks for wishing my sister luck! It's tomorrow. Yes, Eva is a very interesting character but you're the first one I know of to truly start wondering about Spencer/Spike before wondering about Eva/Eve. If he helped NCIS, does that mean he's not really a bad guy? Or as Ziva said, is he just manipulating further? But I want to make sure everyone is clear that he's not going to be completly unloyal to Eva because unlike everyone else...he truly knows her. One fact that have slipped some peoples attention, he truly knows her. So maybe if you want a little more insight to Eva you've gotta look at Spencer? You're right, they are close, they're not bothered at all with being the last two people left but in fact may prefer it that way. Eva would be mostly lost without Spike...but only in a certain way. Yes! If the sec conversation came up from Nathan, Ziva would look at Tony! I may even use that in the future heh. I'm glad you like Spike/Eve and Spencer/Eva moments, I adore writing them and at the moment, more than anything!).

Okay so there are some clues and things to think about in there ^ so let me know if anyone has any theories or more questions? This chapter is short but as mentioned before it's simply because the next one is so long. Anyways, enjoy and review! Will update Saturday or if for some very off reason I can't, it'll be Sunday for sure!**

* * *

****Chapter twenty-eight: Should I be worried?**

Tony finished some paperwork he'd been slacking at lately and yawned, turning to glance at his watch and right away he was concerned.

'Hey boss, shouldn't Ziva be back by now?' he asked and Nathan looked up from playing a game on Tony's phone where he sat at Ziva's desk.

'Yeah' Gibbs sighed and his gut told him that something was wrong.

'Where's my mama?' Nathan started panicking. 'Is she okay?'

'I'm sure she's fine' Tony replied. 'Just a bit late or there was a long line' he told the boy but knew if there was indeed a big line...Ziva was more likely to shoot her way through it than wait for over an hour.

'DiNozzo, take care of Nathan' Gibbs got up. 'McGee and I will worry about Ziva'.

'But…' Tony started but then got a glare from the boss and caved. 'You want some candy, Nathan?' he asked and reached for the boy's hand even though Nathan shook his head. Tony felt weird leading Nathan by hand to the candy bar/vending machine that wasn't too far from the office but with Ziva in possible trouble he felt very protective of the boy again.

'Here's a little trick' Tony winked and hit the machine in the right spot, making a block of chocolate fall out.

'Thanks' Nathan said but didn't make any move to unwrap it when Tony handed it to him. 'Tony?' he asked, mumbling slightly as he stared at the floor but then looked up at him with an almost desperate expression.

'Your mom will be fine' Tony told him, hoping he sounded honest but he was concerned as well.

'It's not that' Nathan said. 'I…'

'What is it?' Tony asked. 'You can tell me tough guy, we're a team remember?'

'I…I want you to be my daddy' Nathan confessed and looked away again which was probably a good thing as Tony looked like he was going to choke. Ziva had warned him this could happen and he was prepared to hear it at some point but at such a random time? Fair to say, he was a bit caught off guard and still a little unsure if he could voice the decision he had already made involving being a father to Nathan.

'Mama said it may be too soon' Nathan added as he glanced at Tony again, who had managed to control his reaction in time.

Tony watched Nathan for a moment and saw in the boy's eyes how much he wanted him as his father; he never realized just how deep what wish ran through Nathan, which made Tony smile a little.

'Nathan…I would be honored to be your father' Tony said but continued quickly before Nathan got his hopes too high. 'But it is still a little too soon, okay?' he patted the boy's shoulder and Nathan nodded in understanding.

'But you didn't say no' Nathan said, beaming up at him.

Tony laughed a little and suggested they head back to the office and was relieved that Nathan had dropped the subject and was now unwrapping his chocolate. 'Anything?' he asked Gibbs as they reached the squad room.

'Ziva is not answering her phone…it's off' Gibbs frowned at him as though he was looking for someone to blame.

'Is that bad?' Nathan wondered but no one replied. Everyone knew that Ziva would never willing turn her phone off if Nathan was not with her, in case they had to call her for anything. McGee was working on tracking her last location and once they got an address Gibbs left with McGee while instructing Tony to stay with Nathan.

* * *

'It is useless to struggle' Eve said as Ziva once again tried to free herself from the ropes that tied her to the chair in the house she was being held hostage in. 'We both were trained by Mossad; I know as much as you do' Eve continued as she circled Ziva.

'Not everything' Ziva snarled and glanced at where Spike was sitting near the back and eating an apple. But she also caught the odd almost warning look he was giving her and realized that maybe he was slightly on her side and changed tactics, now trying to interrogate Eve as much as she was receiving.

'What do you want with me? Isn't kidnapping my son enough?' Ziva asked.

'Perhaps' Eve replied. 'But I ask the questions here' she frowned and slapped Ziva across the face rather hard and took satisfaction when Ziva winced ever so slightly.

--

Gibbs and McGee spoke to numerous people at the store and flashed around pictures until they reached the unsettling conclusion that Eve has taken Ziva, but there was nothing else to go on as no one saw the vehicle license plate or anything useful…they had reached a dead end.

--

'Where is my mama?' Nathan asked worriedly as he approached Tony's desk where he was putting out a BOLO for a vehicle Gibbs had called him and given him details for. 'They've taken her…haven't they?' he started getting very upset.

'Your mom is the toughest person I know' Tony tried to comfort him while finishing the BOLO but he still wasn't great with kids even if he had improved since meeting Nathan.

'But…what if they hurt her!' Nathan sniffed and covered his hands with his eyes.

Tony filed the BOLO and got up from his seat, pulling Nathan into a hug so he could cry it out, it was about all he could do. He heard the elevator and hoped it was Ziva but it was only Gibbs and McGee returning alone. Tony picked Nathan right up from the floor and approached hopefully, his worry sinking even deeper at the look on their faces.

Tony tried to help McGee and Gibbs as they tried to find a way to locate Ziva but Nathan would simply not let him go. He tried to put him on his chair and then Ziva's chair but the boy had a death grip on him. Nathan was afraid that Tony would vanish too if he let go and he was feeling so scared. Tony gave up on a distraction and decided to just watch the BOLO as he looked after Nathan; which was also roughly the last thing Ziva had said to him as well as being exactly what Gibbs had ordered: "Look after Nathan".

--

'I took your son because of Ari' Eve replied to Ziva's constant questions. 'Because of what your family did to me!'

'What did they do?' Ziva asked angrily as Eve's answers were about as non-specific as her own. 'How is it my fault?'

'I want you to suffer' Eve frowned but refused to say much more on the topic.

'We're running out of time' Spike reminded Eve as he approached the pair.

* * *

By sundown, there were still no leads or clues as to where Ziva had been taken, Eve and Spike were indeed very good at covering their tracks and if it wasn't for a store-worker recognizing Eve or Ziva being missing…it was as though the kidnappers hadn't even been there at all.

It was night and Tony was getting very anxious and nervous. He was still holding Nathan, even as his arms had long become very numb and ached. He no longer wanted to put the boy down, but he wished his arms would stop hurting.

'Would you like to go home?' Tony asked Nathan, which was the last thing he wanted to do but it was getting late and Nathan was very tired. 'Just to get some rest while NCIS find your mom?'

'No!' Nathan said rather harshly as though someone had insulted him. 'I don't wanna go home without mama' he said, the last few words coming out as soft sobs and he rested his head against Tony's shoulder again.

'Okay' Tony nodded. 'Then we'll stay'.

'Thank you Daddy' Nathan said and Tony wasn't sure if he heard him right but obviously he had when Gibbs and McGee looked over at him in shock.

Tony didn't have long to dwell on Nathan's words though as his cell phone rang and Nathan rose his hand to Tony's face as he'd been the one holding the phone.

'Thanks' Tony took the phone and answered it. 'DiNozzo' he replied and almost fell over in pure relief as he heard her voice.

'Tony, it is me' Ziva said. 'I am fine' she added before he even opened his mouth to ask. 'I am on my way home…could you drop off my things when you come home with Nathan?' she wondered, sounding a bit tired but otherwise rather okay…sort of.

"Ziva" Tony mouthed to the others but couldn't believe it was actually her.

'It is not a trap' Ziva added, picking up on his thoughts. 'I would much rather die than tour you and Nathan into a trap'.

'Lure' Tony corrected before he realized what he was saying.

'Yes' Ziva sighed and hung up.

'Was that mama?' Nathan asked hopefully, turning to look at Tony eagerly.

'Sure was, kiddo…now would you like to go home?' Tony asked, grinning for Nathan's benefit.

'Will mama be home?' Nathan wondered, checking the facts first.

'She's on her way there now and would like us to drop her stuff off' Tony replied and Nathan's tired face lit up with a smile, he slid down from Tony's arms and ran to her desk, pulling all her things towards him even if they were a bit heavy for him.

'She's okay?' McGee asked but while he was unsure, Gibbs knew from Tony's expression that something wasn't right, even if Ziva did seem fine as she really would never lead her family into a trap.

'I'll soon find out' Tony replied.

'Come on!' Nathan grabbed his hand, trying to drag him out of the squad room. 'Come on, mama's home!'

Tony followed the boy toward the elevator but he was still very worried as Ziva sounded shocked by something, as well as hurt and possibly upset. What had happened? Did she kill Eve and Spike…did she escape? Or did something far more mysterious and horrible happen? Tony wasn't so sure if he wanted to go home now.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Like I said...short. But I think think it was worth a read, right? With the Tony/Nathan importance :). Anyway, next chapter is big and has a lot of answers I know all of you have been waiting for. Of course I can't answer every single question as the story wouldn't have as much mystery otherwise or the characters, but I can garantee it'll be worth the wait and suspense! So please review and any questions/theories/comments etc you have I would more than love to hear!! Oh and just for reference...Tony and Nathan really aren't going into a trap and Eva/Spencer are still alive. There would be no plot at this point without them.**

**Please review, will update Saturday as my sister has her cross country tomorrow!  
****-Mel**


	29. Things Keep Getting Complicated

**Author's Notes: **Hey, had this all ready, just got to add my "thanks" to my reviewers! So yeah...even though it was a short chapter and with two days until this update...thanks to: **mis58** (The answer to those three questions: no, no and no. :) Glad you thought the suspense is good), **ninja girl** (thanks), **M E Wofford **(You will never not hate eve/eva? Interesting, but fair enough...she was pretty mean to Nathan at times. I am sure she'd want to kill her boss, but more on that later. And yes, confusing my readers is indeed what I want! Not too confused but still, I gotta keep y'all on your toes), **missbodee** (thanks), **NCISislikecupcakes** (Thanks, and yes Ziva is being mysterious but you'll find out soon, as will Tony but I think he'll still remain rather confused), **libby** (Yeah, she's been kidnapped so what does Ziva do after? Eh, go home, lol. Eve slapped her but she did more than that...again, you'll find out soon :). But it wasn't "Eva" I know it's probably confusing and you're the first to call her Eva and not "eve/eva" or eve...but this occasion was Eve. I just want people to be ble to tell the difference between Eve and Eva, which is hard when no one knows Eva well but that should change after this chapter. Thanks), **cool cat** (thanks!) and **tivafangirl1** (thanks).

Also to... **debook210** (Wow from me too, thanks! I'm glad you think that much of my writing ability! Glad to loved all that. You will find out why Ziva is important to Eva/Eve but she's not as important to Eve's bosses. I'm glad you trust me! I'm so happy that my posting makes your day! Reviews make mine :) My sister didn't come top in cross country but here competition was in huge numbers and years of training pfth, unhumans. Thanks!), **immirose** (True, Ziva did warn Tony and if it wasn't for her then he probably would have freaked out, although he's been thinking about it for a while now since she'd mentioned it. Ah huh, yes good question. Spike and his fruit...obesession or Alias? Answer: he is not obsessed with fruit. And wow! You are the first to notice something I was trying to make obvious without actually making it obvious...Spencer is more in control unless he is being Spike and then Eve takes the control. The reason for this lies in Eva's background and the connection she has with Spencer. You're welcome for the Tony/Nathan moment, there will be more! Always. Ziva got a little more than just answers from Eve/Eva. If they "just let her go" or not, will be answered soon! Thanks!), **leobold** (I didn't want to leave it at a cliffhanger because it's more mysterious to the fact that she is fine and somewhat casual yet also I don't think many would believe she'd ever lead them into a trap. And really? stitches from recieving shock? Interesting lol, hope that ended better than it sounded though ;P. You have some ideas about why they "let her go"? cool) and of course **amber-chick** (haha, you got it in time, :). It was a shorter-than-usual review but I expected that with a shorter-than-usual chapter and with a few main events, but this chapter has so much that I can only imagine the reviews! Yes the daddy conversation finally happened, although Ziva is yet to find out. Yes, very correct! Involving Eve/Eva: _"an opportunity presented itself in the form of someone else wanting Nathan and she took advantage of it" _That is exactly right, but it wasn't just her, Spencer is in this with her...why, you may wonder. You will find answers to those questions in this chapter, soon. Enjoy and thanks!!).

**Note: **As many mentioned it I'll add it here: You're all welcome and I'm glad everyone enjoyed the "_Nathan asking Tony to be his daddy_" moment! I always planned to do it with these circumstances and I'm glad everyone liked it. Expect more father/son moments from now on! I also hope the Spike/Spencer and the Eve/Eva changes during the chapters now but hopefully everyone can understand why. Spike and Eve are the covers, the masks and false identities. When you see "Eva" or "Spencer" written, it's their real character, who they really are. There may be a time when despite their plans being ongoing and still going after Nathan...they will drop their acts altogether when they're alone or with people they know. Enjoy this chapter and remember all underlined is in Hebrew.

* * *

**Chapter twenty-nine: Things keep getting complicated **

A man dressed in light-coloured clothing but with dark hair entered a room where several members of his team were monitoring surveillance equipment and examining files. He watched them for a moment and checked everything was in order while rubbing a hand over his short, black beard. He nodded in approval before addressing one of the men.

'Keep John Mohamed "_alive_" for now. We need him to lure Eva out' he said in an important tone, before turning to leave the room again. He pulled out his cell phone and stared at caller-ID before answering.

'Yes, do you have the locations? Good, good…send them to me now' the man smiled and knew everything was going to plan. 'Shalom' he nodded and put his phone back into his pocket.

--

Tony had enough trouble getting the door unlocked while holding Nathan securely in his arms along with Ziva's bag. He used his foot to open the door and breathed in relief as he hadn't dropped the boy. Nathan had fallen asleep soon after leaving the Navy Yard as he knew he was going home to his mother. After parking the car, Tony carefully got him out and was surprised that Nathan didn't wake to the sudden movement but then again he was never an easy one to accidentally wake up.

Tony noticed the place was rather dark and felt nervous since he could not reach his weapon with his hands so full but trusted that Ziva would be home by now, and he was right when the kitchen light flickered on and she stood there smiling at her sleeping son in his arms.

'Take him up to bed' Ziva instructed as she took her bag from Tony, which he was thankful to being relieved from.

'Are you okay?' Tony checked as he wasn't moving otherwise.

'Yes' Ziva nodded but he saw her troubled expression. After giving her a glance over to ensure she wasn't badly injured, Tony nodded and made his way upstairs.

Tony carefully lay Nathan in his bed and took off his shoes and jacket before placing the covers over the boy, wondering when he started being so natural around the child; anyone would think he'd been doing this for years.

'Is mama…okay?' Nathan mumbled sleepily without even opening his eyes fully.

'She's fine, just a bit tired' Tony answered and Nathan replied with a small nod but then seemed to have fallen back to sleep right away.

Tony turned and was about to go downstairs but remembered how Nathan preferred to sleep and shut the door partially ajar. Tony sighed in relief and headed downstairs to address what was worrying him most.

Ziva was waiting for him and he pulled her into a short hug, reassuring himself that she was okay and he hadn't lost her. He was also momentarily surprised that she didn't object or question his actions but instead seemed to hug him back, as if she too needed the reassurance that they still had each other. After releasing her, Tony gave Ziva a stern look and she nodded, gesturing him to join her on the couch.

'I went to get Nathan something to eat and I knew someone was watching me' Ziva began to explain the situation. 'I was stupid; I ignored the warning and as a result Eva was able to kidnap me' she frowned, and while Tony hardly considered it her fault, he encouraged her to continue.

'Did she hurt you?' He wondered, seeing her cheek was a little red but other than that Ziva didn't seem too badly affected by the ordeal, or at least physically.

'No' Ziva lied but Tony continued to stare at her and she didn't like the skeptical look she was getting. 'Perhaps a slap here and there; I am fine'.

'You keep saying that, but are you really?' Tony asked while raising an eyebrow at her.

'Yes!' Ziva said in annoyance.

'Well did Eve or Eva…whoever go "_Kidnap_" on you?' Tony asked, trying to lighten the mood slightly but saw her puzzled expression. 'You know…Bollywood film? 2008, starring Sanjay…never mind. What happened?' he sighed again and found he was rather exhausted from the stressful day.

Ziva frowned in confusion but shook his comments off and continued with her explaination of the events. 'I was taken about five miles west until we got to a filthy house. They tied me to a chair and tried to pry information from me' Ziva shrugged. 'Then they let me go'.

'They…let you go?' Tony was now the one who was confused. 'Well what questions did they ask?'

Ziva bowed her head an inch before replying. 'She asked about how Ari died, okay?' she frowned and got up from the couch, taking to pace around the room slightly. 'I told them nothing' she added, knowing what he was about to ask.

'And they just let you go?' Tony now wasn't buying that answer. Why would Eve go through all the trouble of taking Ziva and ask her questions but then let her go without getting the answers?

'I do not know what to say!' Ziva said. 'She just…she should not have' she placed a hand over her forehead as though warding off a headache and closed her eyes for a second, but then calmed herself and looked back at him. 'I am tired' Ziva told him and dropped the subject. 'And confused'

'Confused about what? I mean besides the crazy chick kidnapping you and then letting you go a few hours later with nothing but a few bruises and a couple cuts…which are bleeding by the way' Tony got up as he'd noticed a few scratches under her forearm when she'd gotten up.

Ziva didn't elaborate as to what she was confused about but was more frustrated as Tony got out a first aid kit that she didn't even remember being in the house, and started fixing her cuts as they were pretty bad, even as she complained the entire time.

'I am-' she started to say but he cast a glare at her.

'No, you're not Ziva' Tony told her and she went quiet, just sitting on the couch as he tended to the small cuts in her skin from Eve's knife, which she hadn't been all that aware of until now.

--

Once Tony was finished they both stood up but he seemed to be waiting for something.

'What?' Ziva asked but he noticed how she avoided his gaze and seemed slightly more anxious to get away from him.

'How long have we known each other?' Tony asked her, eyeing her as he knew there was something she was hiding from him. She may be a Mossad Assassin but he was still able to see when something wasn't right; not even Ziva David could hide everything…especially from her lover.

Ziva cast him a "_are you stupid_?" look but rolled her eyes. 'Three years at least, why?'

'I have never seen you cry' he said and she looked at him as though he was insulting her, the same look Nathan had given him earlier when he suggested they go home. He had seen tears from her and some sobs in anger or loss, but he'd never really seen her breakdown...trully let lose and cry.

'Well…' Ziva scoffed. 'That is probably a good thing'.

'They say you never truly know someone until you've seen them cry…really cry'.

'What movie did you get that from?' Ziva asked but took a breath and stared at his face, seeing concern filling his eyes and expression.

'You're anxious, making jokes...trying not to look at me which I know is weird because I'm so charming' Tony said and raised his eyebrows as if they would prove his point. 'Ziva…do you really trust me?' he wondered as she had opened up to him and he'd really thought it meant she was going to stop dealing with things on her own but if tonight was anything to go by...apparently he'd been wrong.

'And now you are accusing me?' Ziva growled as she crossed her arms; an act he knew to be defensive.

'Asking' Tony corrected calmly.

Ziva stared at him and knew he wasn't going to budge; he wasn't going to back down. She could threaten him, yell at him or even cause him bodily harm but he wasn't going to give in. A part of her admired that, but the other part found it so darn irritating. But why should she still hide? He loved her, and apparently she loved him too…they were living together and he was half-helping raise her child! How could she not trust him? But maybe it wasn't her or even him…perhaps it was trust itself.

'I trust you Tony' Ziva replied, her voice losing volume as she flashed back to her brief ordeal with Eve that day, the way she'd been yelled at and came out with only minor injuries. She could handle all that as she had already done so a hundred or more times before…but it was what Eve had said when she'd let her go that bothered her. That Eve had explained how her three-year-old daughter had been taken and killed…how that is exactly what will happen to Nathan just so Ziva could feel the pain she went through.

Tony was expecting a half confession, or maybe even to be pushed away again…but to see many disturbing emotions flash through Ziva's eyes as she looked at him and then a lone tear slid down her cheek…it hit him hard. She had been slapped, cut and insulted today yet he was hurt by a single tear and the look of internal turmoil on her face. Tony knew now that love hurts in more ways than one.

'Ziva…what happened?' he asked but she could not reply, just moved to fall into his arms and started to cry, letting her pain and fears out. She had bottled it all up for five years and now that she had started she could not stop. Her only relief was that she was safely in Tony's arms as she lost grip of her composure…she felt safe with Tony. She felt that her son was safe with Tony. How could she not trust him?

'It's okay, shhh' Tony wrapped his arms around Ziva, hating how frail she felt as she cried against him and a new feeling swelled inside him…hatred. Ziva wasn't the only one that wanted to hunt down and causing suffering to those that had taken Nathan anymore.

* * *

'Why didn't you kill Ziva?' Spike asked Eva as they settled themselves into yet another rather unkempt house in the middle of nowhere.

'It should have been me' Eva sighed and shook her head. 'I should have had the family that Ziva did. I mean I am Ari's half-sister too! Well by mother, but with my mother being married to that bastard, Eli David…I was adopted out!' Eva scowled as she sat on a chair backwards. 'If Nathan was my son than Ari would care about me…he would look after me. But no…he died and left me with nothing!' Eva left the chair and paced the room angrily while Spencer watched, unsure what to say. 'Keeping Nathan meant I had a family and that I was hurting Ziva for having what I did not have'.

'That's why you took this job' Spencer said, knowing it already. 'But why let her go now? She has Nathan back…'

'Exactly. If I kill her, I will be hurting Nathan and that Agent DiNozzo…I do not want to hurt them if I can help it, just Ziva' Eva said. 'Their death will be quick…but the timing has to be right. Let her get used to them, let her feel safe with them…then let her feel what it is like to have them taken away forever'.

* * *

As morning broke out over Washington DC, the few hours of dim light before the sun would rise…Ziva David was already awake and dressed as she carefully pushed open the bedroom door where her young child was sleeping. She smiled and sat beside Nathan on his bed, moving some hair from his face as she watched him with a loving look.

--

'_Yes?__' Ziva asked as she answered the phone, looking down at her sleeping toddler with a smile._

'_I have information'__ the man spoke but seemed hesitant. __'You sent me to track down Simon Kane in America, remember?'_

_Ziva skipped a breath and wasn't sure if she wanted to know why the father of her child still had not initiated a single call to her, but knew she had to find out or the curiosity would eat away at her forever. __'Yes, did you find him?'__ she asked._

'_Not exactly, he's…dead'__ her contact informed her and even though she had suspected it as a possibility, it still shocked her and she felt sadness welling inside her._

'_How?'__ she asked, doing her best so sound unaffected as she stared at her sleeping child._

'_Plane crash…he never made it back to America'._

--

Nathan's biological father had died during the plane crash that was meant to take him home. He had never called her because he couldn't and Ziva wondered if she had stopped him from boarding that plane then would Nathan have a good father? She knew that her and Simon would never have lasted as a couple at all; the excitement would have worn off soon enough. But he had given her the best gift in the world so she felt nothing but grateful towards the man she'd lost but never had.

'I love you so much, dear child' Ziva whispered as she placed a tender kiss on her sleeping son's forehead. 'More than you could understand'.

--

The elevator doors opened and non other than Director Jenny Sheppard stepped out, ignoring the few employees that were in this early and greeted her with gestures as she spoke on the phone. Jenny thanked her caller and pocked the cell phone before strolling towards her office as if she owned the place…well, she did run it.

'Finally' breathed Vance as he spotted her entering the office and placed the last of his things into a box that was sitting atop the desk.

'What was that, Leon?' Jenny asked but knew what he had said. 'You wouldn't be making note of my lateness would you? Since I am the Director and have been under huge pressure in the last few weeks, I have every reason to be late'.

'Excuse me; I just…want to get home to my kids' Vance sighed. 'The office is all yours again, Director'.

'And I appreciate it' Jenny nodded. 'I assume it is still in the same state it was in before I…was forced into temporary recovery leave and a unnecessary protection program?'

'I notice nothing out of the ordinary' Vance replied.

'Then you're not very observant' Jenny narrowed her eyes slightly and as she ran her hand along the desk and noticed several scratches on one corner and how her phone had clearly been replaced with a newer model. 'Did anyone in particular give you some trouble?' Jenny wondered as she sat at her desk and Vance took his box.

'If you're referring to Special Agent Gibbs…' Vance said, although he seemed rather eager to leave. 'Yes, but nothing I wasn't able to handle'.

'Oh, I don't doubt that' Jenny smirked in a way to prevent her laughter as she could tell by his expression that Gibbs had given him quite some grief…as she had expected him to. 'You are dismissed' she added. 'Go home to your family…I will try not to get shot in the future' she said but was rather enjoying her return.

'I appreciate it' Vance said a little coldly and left the office.

'Okay…let's see who has sued us' Jenny said while letting out a sigh, expecting many files on Gibbs's destruction and law-breaking to solve the crimes…yes he worked in weird ways. She was rather surprised to find a file on top labeled "_David Kidnapping_" and was afraid Ziva had been taken but even though the rational side of her brain insisted that wasn't possible, she still felt a sense of fear for her friend. But as Jenny opened the file and saw a picture of a young boy she was rather surprised and smiled when she read who he was.

'Cynthia?' Jenny called to her re-instated assistant.

'Yes ma'am?' Cynthia asked as she came to the door.

'Cancel all appointments today, I have an urgent case' Jenny told her firmly, having just read the first few lines in the file.

'Yes Director' Cynthia nodded and left the room.

'Already?' A voice spoke from the doorway not two seconds later and Jenny smiled, removing her reading glasses to look up at none-other than the infamous man himself. 'I didn't think I was that bad' he shrugged innocently and approached her desk.

'Hello Jethro' Jenny said and accepted the coffee he held out to her. 'Thank you' she said, as she had been unable to pick one up this morning. 'I have just been informed that not only does Ziva have a son nearing his eighth birthday who had been kidnapped until a few short months ago…but also that no one bothered to tell me'.

'You know now' Gibbs shrugged rather cassually. 'What would you have done if you'd known?' he asked more seriously but answered for her as she was halfway through opening her mouth. 'You'd have come back early and risked your health'.

'My health is fine, Jethro' Jenny frowned and put her glasses on, now intrigued with the file. 'Now shoo, I've got some catching up to do'.

'Are you "_shooing_" me, Jen?' Gibbs actually laughed at that but then nodded at her stern glare. 'As you wish' he said and turned to leave but paused at the door. 'Welcome back, Director' he added and left, shutting the door behind him as he went.

* * *

Tony groaned and rolled over, feeling his hand land on the empty side of the bed and opened his eyes. He hadn't really expected Ziva to be still asleep but he had hoped. It was nice waking up beside her but it happened so rarely as she was a early-morning person and he tended to avoid any time before 8am unless he had to get up for work. Tony pulled himself out of bed and went about his usual routine before making his way downstairs, where he finally found the woman he'd so unknowningly fallen in love with years ago.

'Morning, Zee-Vah!' he flashed a grin and wrapped his arms around her middle from behind and inhaled the exotic scent of her shampoo, completely ignoring the fact that she was trying to make breakfast.

Ziva didn't reply for a moment and stopped what she was doing, turning so she was now facing him but his arms remained around her. She smiled at the cheerful look on his face and couldn't help but feel her own mood lifting slightly.

'Good morning, Tony' she replied and leaned up to kiss him softly on the lips, which he eagerly returned and wrapped his arms around her more firmly and her own went around his neck. A soft sound of the bacon cooking interupted their moment and Ziva turned to proceed with making breakfast and Tony released her a little reluctantly. 'Could you get Nathan up please?' she wondered. 'Since I am busy' she added and Tony nodded.

'Sure' he told her and went back upstairs, pausing just a moment to admire her figure and then headed to Nathan's room. He only climbed into their bed during storms or when he has a bad dream, so it was still a new adjustment to waking the boy in his own bed instead of having him being woken by Ziva's absence.

'Hey kiddo, time to get up' Tony announced as he opened the bedroom door and Nathan mumbled something Hebrew in reply before rolling over and away from Tony.

'Nathan?' Tony touched the boy slightly on the shoulder to bring him from his slumber and Nathan rolled back, yawning softly before he sleepily opened his eyes slightly. He stared at Tony's face and yawned again, sitting up a little and rubbed his eyes.

'Daddy?' he asked as he recognised Tony.

'Um...' Tony wasn't sure what to say to that but Nathan's eyes flashed open fully as he remembered the night before. The boy jumped out of his train bed and ran downstairs as fast as he could, wanting to see his mother alive and well with his own eyes.

'Mama!' he yelled and hugged her tightly, which brought a smile to her face and Tony came back downstairs looking a bit surprised but she didn't know why.

'Are you really okay?' Nathan asked his mother, his eyes tearing slightly as he remembered his fears of losing her and then the relief of having her back.

'Yes, I am fine' Ziva smiled, running a hand through his hair.

'Are you sure?' Nathan asked again, determined to get as much assurance as possisibly. 'You're not just saying that so I don't worry?'

'I am sure, do not worry' Ziva laughed a little and Toyn couldn't help but smirk as Nathan had also noticed how his mother often said she was fine when it wasn't entirely true.

Nathan didn't seem convinced as he saw some band-aids on her arms but sighed and let it go, but smiled in relief and accepted that his mother was back and okay. 'Good, because daddy and I can't lose you' Nathan said, not aware of his own words as he considered Tony his fahter so much it was a subconcious thing to refer to him as.

Ziva opened her mouth to say something but looked over at Tony, noticing his confused and unsure expression as he stared at the floor and sighed, coming to the conclusion that Nathan's sudden name-switch was very recent.

'I was so scared they'd hurt you or not let you come back' Nathan continued and looked up at his mother again. 'Agent Gibbs was mad and had a gut thing about you being in trouble...'

'But I am okay now, they will not take me again' Ziva assured him, pulling him closer. 'Are you okay?' She then wondered as he still looked a bit troubled.

'I think so' Nathan nodded. 'I was scared but daddy looked after me and made me feel better. Daddy said you were the toughest person he knew and you'd be okay...I believed him and he was right!' Nathan hugged her again. 'Don't ever leave us again, Mama. And daddy let me...'

"_Daddy_?" Ziva addressed that concern first.

'Oh' Nathan looked up again, seeming slightly embarrassed. 'I mean...Tony let me stay at NCIS until you came back'.

Ziva didn't notice the sounds at the door of the mailman but Nathan did and ran to get the mail while she turned to look at Tony, seeing a slightly guilty look upon his face and her eyes narrowed, concluding that he had some involvement in the "_Daddy_" event.

'It wasn't my idea' Tony said quickly upon recieving a less-than-pleased look from Ziva but she simply turned back to making breakfast without a word.

* * *

Spencer stared at his reflection in the faded, cracked mirror and sighed, seeing his hair sticking in odd directions and the small bags under his eyes showed his lack of peaceful rest. He turned behind him in time to see Eva leaving the bedrom fully dressed and mumbled something to himself before putting toothpaste on his toothbrush, stiffling another yawn.

Eva sat at a table and ate her cereal, lost in her own thoughts until Spencer left the bedroom they shared and headed to the fridge.

'Got anything planned today?' Spencer asked her casually as he looked for something to eat.

'Today, no' Eva sighed as he straightened up. 'Need some new clothes but that can wait until later' she shrugged.

Spencer made mental note about their lack of fruit and grabbed his jacket, making Eva tense slightly when he headed to the door but he quickly explained. 'We're out of fruit, I'm going to get some more' he told her and left the house, shutting the paint-peeling door behind him and wandered down the dirt road into the small town they were staying in.

Once he arrived in the main street he headed into a cafe and bought a cheeseburger with fries before sitting to eat them as though he had been starving for months. He then headed to the bakery and got some samdwiches along with a meat pie. Glancing at his watch, Spike knew he couldn't spend too much time in he town and went to buy the fruit he had come to get. He turned right into a street and put on motorcycle gloves to use the payphone without leaving any prints as he was sure NCIS could track the call he was about to make to this town. He and Eve were changing locations later that night anyway.

'Yeah?' a man answered the call on second ring.

'It's Spencer here, 235089' he sighed, giving the place a short but seemingly casual glance before continuing, requesting a specific case file to be retrieved. 'I want the case file to have "_508_" written upon the front and sent to Special Agent Gibbs, NCIS...in three days'.

'You're compromising the mission!' the man yelled angrily but also sounded rather shocked at his request. 'I ain't doing it, it's too risky! Do you want to be caught?'

Spencer narrowed his eyes and his expression formed an unnatural one. 'Hey! You will do what I say or I will personally show up on your doorstep and put a bullet through your skull! Do we have an understanding, Mick?!' he growled angrily but also with a tone of surprising authority.

'Y-yes' the man gulped but quickly regained himself. 'I will send it in three days-'

Spencer hung up the phone before the sentence was finished and checked that no one was eavesdropping or looking at him before reaching into one of his shopping bags with a sigh. He stared at the piece of fruit in his hand before taking a bite of the apple and headed back towards the house where he was sure that Eva was waiting for him; in his calm and collected stance once again.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Okay so everyone has got some answers, not complete ones but answers all the same. Firstly, how many of my readers forgot about the "**235089**" that Spike had written on a piece of paper and given it to Nathan while Tony and Ziva were shopping for their house? :D. Well it wasn't something random and in fact...it is one of the most important things in the kidnapping plotline! Now what did everyone think of this chapter? Personally I consider it one of my very favourite! Also was Jenny in character? I have only written her briefly before but I think I did good, do you agree?**

**Now...questions, anyone? :). Just keep in mind that Spencer isn't going against Eva. Theories, questions, comments...i'd love to hear them!! Since this was such a big, important and very fulfilling chapter I won't be updating until...Wednesday? Thursday? Not unless I get so many reviews or long detailed ones etc that motivate me to update early. Review!!**

**-Mel**

**P.s Who still hates/dislikes Spencer/Spike or Eva/Eve? And if you like/love either of them, which aspect/s do you enjoy most about them? Since their roles are increasing slightly and if there is anything you'd like to know or see involving them, please let me know.**

**Note: _I have remoddled and slightly changed my "Never Too Late" banners that can be found in my profile...but as of this chapter, we're in 'phrase three' so that banner is up now also...if you like it/them, please let me know!! Also I have made a promo/preview of this fic for youtube but the site isn't able to read it or something? :( I made it using windows movie maker so if anyone knows how to make it work on youtube, please let me know!!_**


	30. Happy Birthday!

**Author's Notes:** The late update is majorly because things have been crazily busy here, also lost my fashdrive containing my novel but found it so whew! Thanks to my reviewers: **nepeace** (I do still find it weird to see Vance in Jenny's office. Glad you thought she was in character and liked her interaction with Gibbs. Enjoy the ride!), **missbodee** (thanks), **leobold1** (Ziva is avoiding the "daddy conversation" at the moment :P. Where the file is coming from, you'll find that out soon enough after it is recieved, as for if Eva knows what Spencer is up to...I would say it's half and half), **blarney** (Glad you love the story. Don't like Eve/Eva? Fair enough :P. Tony has accepted himself as Nathan's father but is still rather confused by it...if that makes any sense! The file has a great significance to the kidnapping plot of the story. And Eva's main goal in taking Ziva was to let her know that she was going to hunt Tony and Nathan down so she could feel the pain she did. A simple phonecall may have been more efficiant but it could be traceable :P Plus Eva likes to be dramatic sometimes), **mia58** (How Eva ended up in Mossad is indeed a good question ;). I won't tell you anything about Eva/Spencer's boss/s at this point but won't be long until you know. Eva said she will only kill Tony and Nathan when the timing is right, which is one reason why she didn't kill him during the 5 years but also because her boss/s said to keep the boy alive), **NCISislikecupcakes** (Spencer/Spike is supposed to be confusing...that was my base description of him when I first created his character/s. It's hard isn't it? Finding out whose side he is on. If he is indeed loyal to Eva, why is he helping NCIS? Because he is loyal to Eva, that part I want to make sure people are aware of), **tivafangirl1** (thanks, I will) and **musicalsweettie89** (I will!).

And...**immirose** (Ziva has had it tough, and the more I write the more I realise how much she and Eva actually have in common. Glad you're starting to understands Eva more :P. I liked the Jenny/Vance moment too, and thanks! internal affairs, I have been trying to remember that ep for ages. Ha! Yes Tony is avoiding the "daddy" moment somewhat whilst Ziva seems to be trying to ignore its existance...but yes, Nathan is all for it. Spike/Spencer is your favouriate character? Yay, mine too :P The number Spike gave Nathan wasn't a casefile but yes a casefile is being sent to NCIS...but no it's not the one on Eva's daughter; I can't say why but Spencer would not want anyone to see that casefile at all. How Spike/Eve know each other? They work together. How Spencer/Eva know each other? You'll find out soon enough, I wonder how many people can actually guess it...since no one could see Eva/Ari's, not that I really gave any clues but still.), **debook210** (I liked the 'shooing' moment too but was worried it was out of character, hense Gibbs' comment after :P. The first chapter of this fanfiction took place at the end of Dagger. So this is post-judgement day...set in season 6 timeline. Obviously it is AU and Jenny wasn't killed during judgement day but barely scraped out of there alive. She is better now and back to attempt to keep Gibbs from ruining NCIS :P) and **amber-chick** (heh nice timing with the review. I hope life is treating you well and that you feel better! *hugs*. Good question. Eva is pronounced "Eve-uh" rhymes with "Ziva". You asked if "they" are masterminds of the whole thing or other players on the board...who do you mean by "they"? If you're refering to the group at the small bit in the beginning of the chapter...they're a bit of both. I am watching "aliyah" on youtube now actually heh. True, on show we've seen Ziva cry the most. And also...Ziva hasn't seen Tony cry but he didn't mention that last chapter did he? That scene that was "a little hard to read" how so? By wording or by what actually happened? To clear the confusion: Eva and Ari have the same mother, so Eva isn't related to Ziva by blood at although but one would argue if they were/are step-sisters. Ziva does not know of this connection at all yet and Eva may or may not know that Ziva killed Ari...wait and see. It wasn't that Ari didn't care about her but didn't care for her...confusing? Yes. Lol "hands off", but Eva is targeting the boys. Simon may or may not have been a bastard. I guess it's all a question "would he or would he not". Jenny's presence will be moving the case along a bit and yes it will make things easier for Tony/Ziva as well as Nathan. I don't like to skip or skim over things I think are important enough to put in there, so thanks! :P. Ha! True, Nathan listened but did it anyway. The file Spencer is sending to NCIS is so important it will get its own chapter. And I wouldn't have a very interesting/progressing fanfiction if I answered all the questions and didn't leave any new ones, would I? Looking forward to your PM! :).**

* * *

****Chapter Thirty: Happy Birthday!**

Tony and Ziva headed out of the elevator on their floor at NCIS that morning but Nathan was in a good mood and rushed past when he saw that Gibbs was already there.

'Morning, Nathan' Gibbs said as the boy ran up to him holding something.

'Good morning, Agent Gibbs' Nathan said anxiously and held out an elvelope to him. 'This is your invitation to my birthday party' he explained proudly. 'You'll come, won't you?' he then looked unsure and his grin faded.

'Wouldn't miss it' Gibbs smirked with a light nod and Nathan grinned again, looking around for McGee while gripping his small pile of invites that his mother deemed unnecessary but he was determined to use the pad of party invites he'd pleaded Tony into buying for him. His eighth birthday had been appoaching in the back of everyones minds but now it was a mere week or so away...he was filled with excitement and anticipation.

'Is Director Sheppard in yet?' Ziva asked Gibbs polietly.

'How do you even know she's back?' Tony wondered, dumping his bag behind his desk. 'You got some sixth sense about it or something?' he then paused and smirked. 'Ah...Sixth Sense, 1999...Bruce Willis, Toni Collette...'

'DiNozzo' Gibbs warned and his Senior Agent went quiet while Ziva rolled her eyes. Gibbs had to hide a smile though, while Tony's movie tendacies drove him insane half the time it was still nice to see that even with his and Ziva's relationship and adding Nathan into his life and care...things still never really change.

'Ziva' Jenny's voice broke over Gibbs' thoughts as she looked down into the bulpen, but Ziva turned skillfully as though she had predicted it as Jenny requested a full briefing in her office.

Ziva nodded and kissed Nathan's forehead before heading up the stairs. Jenny watched Ziva approach but then looked down to smile at Nathan before turning to head into her office.

'Where is Agent McGee?' Nathan asked Gibbs, turning away from his mother's absence but he wasn't worried as he was at NCIS and Gibbs was with him, along with Tony.

'Sorry I'm late!' McGee came rushing into the office and Tony had to bite back a comment with Nathan there looking so anxious to hand out his invite.

'Hey' McGee made an effort to smile and greet Nathan as he liked the kid but wasn't exactly sure how to approach him and he rarely got the chance to spend time with him.

'Hello' Nathan replied and handed out the second invitation. 'Will you come to my brithday party?'

'Sure' McGee smiled and took the envelope. 'I'll be there'.

'You better be, Probie' Tony added and Nathan nodded in agreement.

'Come on! I gotta hand these out!' Nathan grabbed Tony's hand and tried to pull the adult towards the elevator.

'Now?' Tony groaned but followed the boy as he knew he'd go off on his own otherwise, he was Ziva's child afterall.

* * *

'Oh!' Abby grinned and jumped gleefully when Nathan held out the invite to her. 'I would love to come to your birthday party, Nathan! Would you like a piñata?' she then asked.

'A what?' Nathan wondered thoughtfully. 'Isn't that French or Spanish?'

'Um...yeah' Abby raised and eyebrow in surprise before looking at Tony. 'Do you have one already?'

'No' he replied with a shrug.

'Is it a themed brithday party?' Abby asked. 'Like trains, zoo animals or maybe an underwater theme?'

'What am I, five?' Nathan raised an eyebrow. 'No theme, just fun. But I do like trains'.

'Okay, it's settled. I'll bring a awesome train piñata!' Abby grinned. 'But I'm still geting you a present'.

'Fine with me' Nathan smirked and let Abby hug him, too shocked to say "no" anyway. 'Come on!' he then demanded attention from Tony again.

--

Tony was dragged down to the morgue (in which Ducky didn't have a body to autopsy, thankfully) and watched as Nathan handed an invite to Ducky and then Jimmy Palmer and then one of the security guards that Nathan seemed to have a liking for, after that they headed back to the squad room.

Nathan was in a really happy mood so Tony was feeling pretty good also, seeing the boy so lit up with joy and wondered if Ziva was able to be so lit up and filled with joy and happiness as her son was because he could not remember ever seeing that much warmth in her features as a whole. As he went to sit down, Ziva was done with briefing Jenny and made her way downstairs with the Director right behind her.

'And you must be Nathan David' Jenny smiled at the boy while casting Gibbs a small frown.

'Um...yes' Nathan said, now looking a bit caught-off-guard.

'Nathan, this is my friend and the Director of NCIS...Jenny Sheppard' Ziva explained to him and he instantly dropped his guard but seemed a bit shy about a lady boss.

'Nice to meet you, ma'am' Nathan held out his hand and Jenny smiled as she shook it.

'Ziva...take Nathan home' Jenny then instructed and continued before the Mossad Officer could complain. 'You son has a bithday coming up and we can handle things fine here. Go'.

Ziva's jaw tensed slightly but she saw it for what it was: an order.

'Yes, Director' Ziva sighed. 'I assume Tony comes too then, since we are dating' she added and Tony winced, looking over at Jenny as if expecting a Gibbs-slap from her.

'You're...' Jenny glanced at Tony in surprise, wondering how long she had really been away for and then turned to see the non-commited look on Gibbs' face so he clearly didn't just know about this knew development but also was rather okay with it. Suddenly Jenny felt very non up-to-date on things. 'How long has this been going on?' she wondered.

'Several weeks' Ziva replied as though her answers were well rehearsed. 'At least' she added calmly.

Jenny smiled slightly, not daring to state that in some way it made sense and she could have seen it coming. 'Go on, Tony' she sighed and the Senior Agent got up to leave with the pair.

Not a minute passed after the small family left before a small group of NCIS Agents approached and Jenny nodded, clearing her her throat before speaking rather loudly with a firm authority tone.

'Agent Gibbs, I want a full report of your interrogation of Jacob Mathers and why he is currently locked in the small room with nothing more than a bathroom pass and small meals! McGee, I want service records, vehicle reports, bank transactions, background checks and anything else useful on all identifed kidnappers!' she said. 'The people we are looking for will be tracked down. And until the one day of Nathan David's birthday each and every one of you along with the extra help..' she looked at the group behind her. '...are to work on finding out who kidnapped the boy before they gather any more ground! Is that clear?' Jenny asked but turned to leave before hearing all the replies. Ah yes...it felt so good to be back on the job.

* * *

Nathan was sitting on the floor in front of the blank TV working on his birthday list while Tony and Ziva sat on the couch together and planned everything else for the party, such as the food, guest requirements, location etc. They didn't want to draw too much unwanted attention to themselves but felt it really was best to hold the party at their own home. Plus Abby had agreed/demanded to bring the piñata while Jenny insisted on bringing the cake.

As the days passed by, Tony and Ziva were preoccupied with shopping and preparing for the party but Ziva made extra effort to get a full status report from Jenny or McGee every afternoon, still slightly annoyed that they discluded them in the case for now but releived she could spend the spare time with the man she loved and her son.

--

Nathan was up and dressed very early on the morning of his eighth birthday and woken both his parents up by jumping on the bed, much to their annoyance but while Tony grumbled, Ziva joined in on the happiness of her son aging another year but this time she will be there to celebrate it with him like she should.

They went out for breakfast, letting Nathan eat whatever he wanted and then went back home to finalize the party arrangements before everyone began arriving around 11:00am. Abby was the first to arrive, soon followed by Ducky and then everyone else. The well-fenced backyard was wonderfully decorated and Ziva had gone all out in making sure the party would be great as Nathan had missed out on at least four other brithdays while he'd been held hostage.

'Do you think it makes up for missing fives years of birthdays?' Ziva asked Nathan a little unsurely after the piñata was beaten to the ground and the candy mostly eaten.

'Oh yes!' Nathan grinned. 'It's the best ever, Mama!'

'Open your presents!' Abby jumped eagerly.

'Can I?' Nathan looked up at his mother and she nodded, just loving how happy he was and for a moment it seemed as though nothing had ever been wrong, nothing could ever happen because it was just a group of family anf friends celebrating a young boy's birthday. He had been there all along, there were no kidnappers or bad people out there...it was just a day of celebration and peace. But at the back of Ziva's mind she was still alert and cautious because she knew nothing good could be taken for granted or accepted too lightly.

Nathan tore through his many-shaped and brightly wrapped presents, getting more and more excited by each one of opened. He got books, puzzles, toys, movies, a boucing ball, baseball hoop, clothes and various other things; one was as great as the last.

Hours passed by without Nathan being aware of it and before long everyone had gathered at the food table and Jenny brought out his train-shaped birthday cake that looked like it could feed twenty people at least. The group sang a chorus of "happy birthday" and clapped as Nathan stared at his eight candles and thought for a moment about what to wish for. He glanced at Tony and then his mother before closing his eyes to wish and quickly blew out all his candles in won breath, encouraging another round of applause and McGee made sure to capture it all on his new video camera.

Nathan had no friends his age but Tony and Ziva had managed to invite a few children around the street and Fornell even showed u with his daughter Emily who was close to Nathan's age after being talked into it by Gibbs. But while the day was great and lasted many hours, everyone there had jobs and by 3pm it was time to end the party and move on. Jenny, Fornell and Gibbs were some of the first to leave with the more demanding positions they held. Ducky, Jimmy and McGee soon followed suit but Abby left last, not leaving until Ziva had to pratically force her out the door.

And after that, cleanup followed.

'Here' Nathan grinned as he held up his birthday list for Tony and Ziva to read. 'We don't have to do it all today, but anytime is fine...just make sure I get all of them' he said.

Ziva read the list of requests over and approved, glancing at Tony to see what he thought.

'They can be done' Toyn shrugged and handed the list back to Nathan.

'Oh, and...' Nathan then smirked a little too mischiviously for the adults liking as he tucked the list into his pocket and stared at them. 'Since it's my birthday and I can have whatever I want...I want Tony to be my dad' he informed them very matter-of-factly.

Ziva felt a headache coming on but tried to ignore it as she knew there was no hiding from that request forever. 'We will talk about it' she replied instead, not even wanting to look at Tony for his thoughts on the subject. 'But for now...you can help clean up' she told her son.

Nathan frowned. 'It's my birthday' he insisted. 'I don't have to do anything' he reminded them and smiled innocently.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Sorry the chapter is a bit short and all, but we've got to have a sort of "calm before the storm" moment with the fic. Enjoy and please review!! Will update again soon, depending on reviews mostly but shouldn't be almost 4 days overdue as I am today! Next update...Tuesday? Wednesday? Eh, could be sooner but Wednesday is the latest unless the internet dies (highly unlikely). And remember, if there is anything you'd like to see past or present, let me know!! :)**

**-Mel**

**p.s I just realised this chapter would be a good 'Gibbs remebering Kelly' moment as she was 8 when he last saw her...but Nathan is that age for a year so should put it in later. Just imagine that he was thinking of her though :). **


	31. Eight Things

**Author's notes: **Thanks to my reviewers: **nepeace** (Jenny does feel a bit left out but mostly uninformed. True, can't have drama all the time and things may take a few more chapters to heat up again but in a effective way I believe), **leobold1** (I understand exactly when you said I could have put more detail into the party section of last chapter, I fully intended too as detail is usually something I prize myself on but I couldn't get around to it at the time for some reason, sorry. Ha, Ziva is always reaching for her weapon but you're right, it is nice to have a less-tensing moment at times), **NCISislikecupcakes** (You mean you never refused to do stuff on your birthday? It's like an unspoken rule! Glad you loved the Jenny/Nathan), **mia58** (The coming "storm" is bit bad and good, but that depends on the reader's point of view. The list Nathan has, you wanted to know what's on it? Well that would be half the point of this chapter :P. Enjoy), **musicalsweettie89** (glad you love Nathan!), **tivafangirl1** (Thanks), **bluestriker666** (I'm glad you're looking forward to more) and **shella-belle** (Haha, that's funny...but true, it is the calm before the storm indeed. I'm happy to hear you like Jenny being back. The trouble is coming for not just the team etc, but others as well. Stay tuned!).

And a special thanks to: **immirose** (Gibbs has to shoot Tony's references down or else it'll count as encouraging him :P. Glad to hear you thought Jenny was in character and her reaction as well as looking forward to seeing more of her because there will be more. Yup, Nathan has Ziva's bluntness and he wants Tony as his father! He got impatient with waiting and hoping. Haha. Thanks!), **debook210** (Heh, no...Ziva does not yet know that Tony and Nathan have had the "daddy" conversation. She warned him it could happen but she doesn't know it already has yet. The suggestion you had involving Tony/Nathan/Gibbs and the boat...I like it and I may use it in the future!! Thanks and I enjoy your honest, humble opinions! Thanks :P) and **ginnypotterthe7th** (Always glad to get reviews! Welcome back. It was about time Nathan had a birthday. Ziva is avoiding the "tony as daddy" for the time being but she can't ignore it forever. If Nathan's wish comes true, only then will you know what it was :P. Thanks!).

**Note:** I don't know if this chapter will appeal to all in terms of the scene-skipping (as I call it) way that it is written. Basically there are 3 things going on at once (well not exactly the same moments but still). This isn't a common occurance but I felt it is the best way to show the going-ons of three individual groups at once, adds suspense too I think. Anyhow, enjoy!!**

* * *

**

**Chapter thirty-one: Eight things**

'Woah, it's huge!' Nathan exclaimed as he looked up at the museum in front of him in amazment, the first event on his list of eight things. He gripped Ziva's hand a little nervously as there were a lot of people around and Tony had gone to get a some maps.

'There you go' Tony handed a map to Nathan and watched in interest while the boy scanned over the exhibit descriptions and tried to figure out what he would like to see first.

'I wanna see the mummies' he said, pointing to the place indicated on the map. 'They sound cool and so do the cave people'.

'Sure, this is your day' Tony nodded and they headed off in that direction but Nathan soon let go of his mother and ran forward to stare at the dinosaur bones that rose high above them all. 'He's enjoying himself' Tony laughed a little as he moved closer to Ziva, putting an arm around her waist casually as they watched the boy examine the exhibits.

'I am glad' Ziva replied with a smile, leaning slightly against Tony.

----

'So any idea where exactly Kenny is?' Spike wondered as he and Eve cleaned weapons and checked they had everything they needed to hunt the last non-caught disbanded member of their little group.

'Roughly, but it may take a few hours. We also cannot be seen' Eve replied, reaching for her sniper rifle and sat on the bed beside Spike. 'I still wonder if Jack or Bruce have said anything...or if Ziva even let Bruce live' she smirked a little at that.

'It won't help NCIS either way' Spike shrugged. 'I'm surprised you didn't kill him yourself'.

'Why take that pleasure from Ziva?' Eve asked.

'Eva' Spencer looked at her, a bit confused which didn't happen to him very often involving her as no one knew her better than he did. 'I thought you were trying to cause Ziva pain?'

'If I came face-to-face with Marcia's killer, I would want to torture him to death' Eva sighed. 'I want to cause Ziva pain but letting her lose her mind is not necessary'.

'Fair enough, we have a bigger job to do anyway' Spencer said, dismissing the topic of Marica. 'So...is the GPS tracker still intact?'

'Should be' Eva smiled at him but hadn't miss the determined topic-change.

'You nervous?' Spencer wondered. 'It's been a while'.

Eva smiled at him and winked. 'Nope, excited'.

----

'As much as Nathan is enjoying himself...' Ziva said as she sat beside Tony on a train, Nathan was on the seat across from them with his hands pressed against the windows in awe and was beyond hearing what they were talking about. '...I feel useless not doing anything to hunt down those that took him from me' she frowned slightly as Tony boredly moved a finger in a circle on her leg. 'They are still out there, and I am not doing anything about it!' she growled and Tony withdrew his hand.

'Gibbs is handling it' Tony reminded her. 'Have you seen the look on his face? He's driven and more obsessed with this than he was with catching Ari' he told her but Nathan's ears perked at his uncle's name and he turned around, making Ziva scowl at Tony.

'What are you talking about?' Nathan wondered.

'That they really should let more air in here' Tony replied instantly as he knew Ziva's troubles with lying to her son...which was rather ironic for the Mossad Assasin.

'Oh' Nathan said, thinking he'd confused "_Ari_" with "_Air_".

'Okay' he nodded and turned back out the window, looking forward to going to the circus before dinner that night. They had only a few things left on his list but he wasn't worried about the day ending because it would end with a all-you-can-eat dinner at a hotel he admired, so he was fine.

'Slipped out' Tony defended himself after Ziva elbowed him. 'I'm still not used to being in the company of a kid all the time'.

'Is it bothering you?' Ziva wondered, taking his words the wrong way.

'No, just an adjustment' Tony sighed, leaning back against the seat. 'I hate public transport, how many more things on that list are there?'

'We promised' Ziva reminded him.

'Is it still illegal to murder any idiot that asks us for directions or tries to sell us something over-expensive and with more effort than it's worth?' he sighed.

'Probably' Ziva said, remembering how Tony had to pull her away from a salesman that thought she needed to use their excercise machines and that she was stupid enough to think $10, 000 was a resonable price. 'I will be glad when this day is over' she added but glanced towards her son as he was enjoying himself so it was worth it to some extent.

----

'I don't care McGee!' Gibbs snapped as Abby left the elevator later that afternoon. 'Find them!'

'Gibbs?' Abby asked as she approached his desk.

'Please tell me you found something, Abs' Gibbs sighed, looking tired and very frustrated with searching for those involved with kidnapping young Nathan.

'I found something' Abby replied. 'They're all linked to even more bad people and we need to find them too' Abby said. 'I don't have much off the fingerprints yet or the silver SUV left outide Tony and Ziva's house from the day Bruce tried to take Nathan again and my facial recognition software is as low on caffeine as I am...but I have something. I mean Kenny aka Ken Mathers is still missing and the other two are very dangerous but I figured out who they are' she said with only slight relief.

'Well?' Gibbs asked when she didn't say anything else. 'Who are they?' he asked loudly, not having time to spare on patience.

'Spike is Spencer Wright and Eve is Eva Jose' Abby replied quickly, bringing up their photos on the plasma. 'I can't get background checks on Eva but Spencer is an assasin and close friend of Eva...he's also an expert con-man'.

'Thanks Abs' GIbbs sighed. 'I'm going for coffee' he then announced and left the office, walking past the window where the sunset was becoming clearer and Jenny watched him walk past.

'Anything else?' she wondered, approaching Abby with the same tired look as Gibbs but with a more hopeful and civil expression.

'Not really, they're just too good at hiding' Abby frowned and let out a defeated sigh. 'I'll go back to my lab and work on those fingerprints'.

----

'Thanks, this is great!' Nathan said after he, Tony and Ziva had ordered their dinner at the hotel resturant.

'No problem' Tony said as he picked up the beverage menu and cast a quick glance at Ziva, wondering if she was going to chase after the waiter she'd threatened that seemed to be under the impression that she was single.

'We did all eight things' Nathan continued. 'I got to see the museum, a circus, ride a train and visit a amusement park! I got to go to the movies and see a show on stage! The bowling alley was wicked too...but I was most looking forward to dinner, since I feel like I'm some sort of prince here...the way they treat us' he smiled.

'It was fun' Tony said to Nathan but lowered his tone to talk to Ziva. 'Besides the fact that my legs are killing me, I've never wanted to kill so many people in a single day and we're completly broke'.

Ziva smiled in amusement to agree with him before their dinner was served and Tony ordered drinks.

'Can I have desert too?' Nathan wondered and being a kid he was quite unaware that money didn't grown on trees and if a hotel was this fancy it was most likely not cheap.

'Um, sure' Tony sighed. 'We'll be eating bread for a month' he added but turned to glare at the waiter when he brought their drinks as he was the same one Ziva wanted to kill although Tony didn't like him much either.

'We will not' Ziva replied a little firmly and then pulled out her cell phone to get a status check from McGee as Gibbs was unreachable, most likely torturing someone into finding a lead as he was still under pressure with the case since Jenny's return.

'Ziva' Tony complained. 'If they have something, I'm sure they'll call us'.

'I do not think so' Ziva frowned. 'Gibbs did not tell us he had Jack in custody'.

Toyn had nothing to reply with so he just sighed and watched Nathan eating contently while looking around the luxurious dining room. It wasn't a day Tony ever wanted to repeat, but at least Nathan was enjoying it so Tony could put up with it for now...besides, it was almost over. Then they could go home and...sleep.

* * *

It wasn't until past 10:30pm that Gibbs decided he'd done all he could for the day and got ready to leave. He had dismissed everyone half an hour ago before heading to check on Jack but he still wasn't talking or doing anything useful at all. Since they had him for terrorism and numerous other crimes they did not have to provide him with a lawyer so Gibbs was quite fine with keeping him locked in the interrogation room until he was ready to break. But he was proving to be much harder to get answers from than Gibbs had originally thought...perhaps he should give Ziva or Tony a go? No, better not risk it; he had enough paperwork as it was.

'Go home, Jethro' Jenny told him as he entered the squad room and dumped his empty coffee cup into the trash beside his cluttered desk.

'I am' he replied but didn't catch her momentarily surprised expression before she bid him goodnight and left. He had been expecting her to ask him to walk her out but knew she'd been under a lot more stress than he was and probably just wanted to get home. He was looking forward to a shower, some clean clothes and a few hours of working on his boat as well.

As Gibbs turned off his computer and gathered his things, he paused as something yellow was sticking out from under a few piles of files. He reached out and pulled a delivery package out from under papers and used his knife to open it cautiously. Gibbs tipped the contents onto his desk and saw it was a casefile with his name "_Agent Gibbs, NCIS_" written on the front and under than were three cryptic numbers: _508_.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Ooooh, the file has arrived! Next chapter I enjoyed writing as it was very crime-based and the whole detective puzzle-solving stuff was fun. I hope you'll all enjoy it as well. What did you think of this chapter? Please review and I shall update Saturday/Sunday...in the meantime I'll get back to writing chapter 52 :).**

**-Mel**


	32. Casefile 508

**Author's Notes: **Thanks to my reviewers: **NCISislikecupcakes** (Yes it is _almost_ exactly what Ziva said to Tony in "undercovers" which is part of the reason why I used it. To show the simularities between Eva and Ziva, among other reasons :P. Thanks), **leobold1** (Every kid's dream indeed. They didn't see whole shows etc, Nathan just wanted the experience so they might have seen half an hour of a show etc), **mia58** (Tony was partially collapsing by the end of the day! Anyone would heh), **nepeace** (They did it for Nathan, but as Tony thought...they were looking forward to just getting home and sleeping!), **cyn23** (Thanks), **ginnypotterthe7th** (Yeah, and true...I'm sure Nathan had a really great day thanks to his parents! Thanks), **twinsloveNCIS** (Always love new readers/reviewers, thanks and enjoy!) and **bluestriker666** (Thanks, I will).

And my special thanks to: **debook210** (Perhaps I should have explained that they didn't spend as much time on each item as one generally would, as half an hour of a stage show rather than the entire show etc. True, they wanted to go all out for Nathan as the last birthday Ziva had with him was 5 years ago and this is the first birthday Tony has with him. Ziva will always worry about bad guys heh. Thanks, I liked the ending too) and **immirose** (Heh, the "undercovers" reminders were intentional. True I had to keep Eva/Spencer out of last chapter but they'll be much more important soon, can't wait til that. Enigma...they both are, but who is more? In my opinion I'd say Spencer :P. The file has arrived indeed. Yes, little sisters can be very annoying net-wise, I know...but my sister is nice enough to let me have it :p).**

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****Chapter thirty two: Casefile 508**

Nathan heard birds outside his window that were living in the tree there and opened his eyes. He sat upright and noticed it was morning, glancing over to check the new alarm clock he got for his birthday and saw they had over an hour until they had to leave for NCIS. Nathan yawned as he climbed out of bed and dressed in a pair of army pants and a new long-sleeved black shirt.

After brushing his hair, Nathan left his room and peaked into the bedroom opposite his and smirked; both Tony and Ziva were still asleep. He walked to the end of the bed and crawled onto it until he could sit in the gap between both adults.

'Good morning Nathan' Ziva mumbled, rolling over as she opened her eyes and smiled at him, having known that it was sim by the movement and his scent.

'Mmhm' Tony added also but didn't move.

'Morning' Nathan replied and watched his mother get up, heading into the bathroom. He turned to look at Tony again and shoved him lightly, trying to wake him up a little more. 'Tony, can I ask you something?' he wondered.

'Ask away' Tony replied, still not moving but his voice sounded more awake and aware of the child sitting behind him.

'How did you and mama first meet?' Nathan asked, which caused Tony to give up on going back to sleep and he finally moved to look at him.

'At NCIS' Tony replied. 'She came to...help us with a case and then joined the team a few weeks later' he told the boy, while musing on what brought on such a question but if there was anything he knew about kids it was the amount of seemingly random questions they asked.

'Did you love her then?' Nathan continued and his voice trailed to the bathroom where Ziva was brushing her teeth but she was also listening intently to the conversation going on in the bedroom.

'No' Tony replied while sitting up and running a hand through his hair in attempt to tame it. 'We got off on a rough start but became friends'.

'Oh...and then you loved her?' Nathan kept his gaze fixated on Tony.

Tony thought for a moment, trying to work out when exactly he'd started thinking of Ziva in a more than friends or sexual way but couldn't pinpoint it. 'I didn't know. Love is a very complicated thing, Nathan' he answered.

'Why? Either you loved her or you didn't' Nathan shrugged, not understanding just how different a relationship love was to a normal family love.

'You will understand one day' Ziva replied as she left the bathroom and eyed her son. 'But for now it is time for breakfast' she gave him a stern look and he sighed. Nathan climbed off the bed and headed downstairs to get himself some cereal and Ziva started to change into what Tonn refered to as "work clothes".

'I hate it when kids ask questions like that' Tony sighed, getting out of bed as well with the renewed hopes of breakfast.

'He is a child' Ziva replied. 'Nathan does not know any other love than the love we give him' she kissed Tony's cheek and left the room.

'The love we give him' Tony repeated, watching the now-empty doorway. But even though he considered himself as Nathan's father now he still didn't think he really filled the "loving father" role. He gave the boy comfort when he needed it, he tucked him into bed alongside Ziva and he carried out the household roles that he was supposed to but he didn't feel as though it was enough. Tony had no idea how to be the ideal father but he knew there had to be more he could do but was also worried about overdoing it or appearing to be trying too hard. 'Love is complicated in all aspects' Tony grumbled as he started to prepare himself for work.

* * *

'Their names check out' Abby said as she and Gibbs stood in her lab by her main computers and stared over the mysterious casefile that had been delivered to Gibbs. 'It's an old FBI case but there doesn't seem to be anything special about it, no NCIS connection and I doubt it has anything to do with the kidnappers' Abby shrugged.

'There was a reason it was sent to me, Abs' Gibbs sighed. 'What about the 508?'

'No idea, could be anything or part of anything, like a license plate or a phone number, home address...the list goes on Gibbs' Abby crossed her arms, just as puzzled about the file as Gibbs was. 'I couldn't fine any fingerprints or in fact, any evidence at all on the package or file. I mean if this is the original casefile then there should be at least fingerprints from the investigating Agents, but nothing...nadda'.

'Keep trying' Gibbs said. 'But I don't think the "508" has anything to do with the case' he said, his gut told him that much. 'It's an old FBI case, right? I'll give Fornell a call' he thought aloud and left the lab.

'Good luck' Abby called after him but stared at the casefile in front of him again. 'Which is more than I can say for me' she sighed, leaning to stare at the folder. 'Who sent you? And why to Gibbs?'

--

'Italiano' Tony said as he and Ziva left the elevators right behind Nathan.

'Italiano?' Nathan tried and Tony nodded with a grin. 'Cool, so is all your family from Italy?'

'As far as I know' Tony nodded and dumped his bag at his desk. 'But I was born in America'.

'Is that okay?' Nathan wondered, now sounding a bit worried while Ziva greeted McGee. 'Belonging to one country but living in another for so long?'

'Sure, as long as you're here legally' Tony replied but instantly realised his mistake since he knew what Nathan was worried about and he doubted the kidnappers had brought him to America legally. 'But you have nothing to worry about, since your biological father was American'.

'Oh, okay' Nathan nodded and joined Ziva at her desk, just as Gibbs walked into the office.

'We need you around Nathan' Gibbs smirked at the boy. 'It's rare that Tony is here on time' he added and Nathan tried not to laugh at the frown on Tony's face as he checked his watch.

Jenny watched the group get settled for a few minutes and then walked down the stairs and addressed them. 'Nathan, I understand you are being homeschooled here but you will need to come and do it up in my office as this team have a lot of work to do today and no one will be able to watch you'.

'I'm fine on my own' Nathan said quickly.

'I don't doubt you're not, but this way no one has to worry, okay?' Jenny asked and Ziva nodded at Nathan, making him sigh in defeat. 'Agent DiNozzo and Officer David, you both have a job to do today that may help us catch our targets' she told them, in which everyone but Nathan knew "targets" referred to "kiddnappers".

'Agent Gibbs and McGee, team up with Ducky to go over the casefile piece by piece...autopsy reports, evidence log...anything that may or may not be useful' Jenny turned to them but paused as Fornell exited the elevator and walked into the bulpen. 'Can I help you, Agent Fornell?' she asked.

'No, I believe I am here to help you, Director' Fornell said and looked at Gibbs, who nodded and got up from his desk. 'You could be more specific on the phone, Jethro' he frowned at his friend.

'If I told you everything then there woul be no need for you to come all the way down here, Tobias' Gibbs smirked and called for the elevator.

'And why am I here? Since I do have better things to do than answer your cryptica phonecalls' Fornell replied and the pair stepped into the elevator, swtiching off the power switch almost immidiately.

'Are you familiar with the Bronson case?' Gibbs asked him seriously.

'Five years ago?' Fornell guessed. 'That was a long five days Jethro; we had eight victims but no evidence, witnesses or suspects. I put that bastard away three years later, which was two years ago...why are you bringing this up now? There were no Navy personell involved'.

'A copied casefile for those murders was mailed to me, with "508" written on the front, Tobias' Gibbs explained.

'And you don't know why or who sent it?' Fornell guessed and nodded. 'And you called me because...?'

'It was an FBI case. You were in charge' Gibbs shrugged. 'And you're familiar with Nathan David's case'.

'You think this is all linked to the kidnapping of the boy?' Fornell looked a bit surprised but then thought for a moment and his face turned more serious. 'And I believe you' he added. 'How can I help?'

* * *

While Nathan was up in Jenny's office doing his schoolwork and getting to know the Director, the rest of the team were pouring everything the had into the mysterious casefile...all except Tony and Ziva. As instructed, they had been sent into the busy streets of Washington DC in search of a Iranian man that could lead them to more clues or details on the kidnappers or at least what Ken Mathers aka Kenny has planned that was supposed to be 9/11 scale terrorism.

The pair were a couple, they had been for months now but the feelings had been there a lot longer. Starting out as mere partners, which was how they were acting right now. To NCIS partners looking for a contact in a busy street came naturally. Anyone outside the office that had seen the pair work together before wouldn't be able to tell the difference between them now and them three years ago. It was the only reason Gibbs and Jenny did not fire, seperate or have any doubt on their partnership while being in a romantic relationship.

Tony turned the page of the newspaper he was pretending to read outside a small coffee shop and glanced around again for the man that was described to be wearing a thick, dark jacket and a dark sunglass while holding a red book in one hand and a cell phone in the other. After he was certain the man hadn't arrived yet, he glanced a few meters away to were Ziva was strategically pacing the streets, eyeing each and every passerby with such focus and determination. She glanced his way and their gazes lingered for more than a second before turning back to the task at hand.

--

'Argh! Caffeine underload' Abby groaned and rested her head against the desk before rubbing her eyes and stretching, once again focusing on the digital version of the case file on her computer. 'This doesn't make sense...five days of investigation...no suspects and, wait' she jerked upright and grabbed her phone to call McGee.

'Agent McGee' he answered, sounding tired and bored.

'McGee!' Abby said loudly. 'What if the "508" refers to the case but has nothing to do with it!'

'Abby that doesn't make sense' McGee sighed.

'Think about it...5 days, 0 suspects and 8 dead...508! Remember that number Spike gave Nathan like forever ago?' Abby asked in excitement as she was so sure of her discovery.

'I'm still not following' McGee said after a second of thinking.

'McGee!' Abby said in annoyance but sighed and explained her theory further. '235089! Remember?'

'I'm sure it's just a coincidence' McGee said, too exhausted to really think about it and he was under a lot of pressure from Gibbs and the Director.

'Words of Leroy Jethro Gibbs: _"I don't believe in co-incidences!"_ Now come on McGee, I gotta make a trip' Abby said quickly and hung up, filled with a renewed hope and she was so sure that she was right about this one.

--

'And you're sure about this?' Tony asked as he sat across from their contact and took notes while Ziva just stared at the man in her "lie-detector" mode.

'Possitive' the man nodded. 'Now if you excuse me, I cannot be seen with you people for long' he got up, looking around nervously.

'Sure, thank you' Tony nodded and walked away with Ziva. 'Why can't this be some bank robbery or subway holdup? Not a highly wanted man planning on corrupting the United States Government and A-bombing Washington' he groaned and tried to snatch the car keys off Ziva but she pulled her hand away in time and gave him a warning glare.

'At least we know Kenny's plan' Ziva said as she got into the driver's seat.

'I prefer not knowing' Tony sighed and prepared himself for a rough, potentially fatal ride back to the Navy Yard.

* * *

'Well?' Gibbs asked as he spotted Tony and Ziva leaving the elevator an hour later.

'You don't wanna know boss' Tony said but Ziva answered without a second to spare.

'Kenny is planning to destroy all the Government of this country and blow up Washington' she stated, making the others very nervous.

'Are you sure?' Fornell asked, not wanting to believe it.

'The crazy ninja chick is always sure' Tony replied. 'How are you with the casefile?' he wondered on what progress they had made, if any.

'And where is my son?' Ziva noticed Jenny was with them but Nathan was not.

'Bathroom' Gibbs replied.

'Gibbs! Gibbs! Gibbs!' Abby rushed into the office with McGee rushing to catch up with her. 'We figured it out!'

'The casefile?' Fornell wondered. 'How?'

'No' Abby said quickly. '235089!'

'What?' Tony asked.

'It was the number Spike had given Nathan the day we were shopping for a place to live and endured useless talk from that infuriating Real Estate woman' Ziva replied from memory. 'What does this have to do with the casefile?'

'The 508...the casefile means nothing' McGee told them.

'Exactly, it was just a piece of the puzzle. The 508 refers to the information in the case but not the case itself. 5 days, 0 suspects and 8 dead, get it?' Abby asked proudly. 'So it fits into the 235089 that we could never figure out but now we know what it means!'

'And what does it mean?' Jenny asked, hoping Abby would get to the point soon.

'Well we backtraced the delivery and didn't come up with anything useful other than the copy we have of the original casefile was sent by an ex-FBI Agent but they wouldn't tell me who. Anyway, I looked into everything that had a number involving Nathan's abduction and...'

'What does it mean?' Ziva asked a little loudly and anxiously, interupting her but Abby didn't seem to miss a beat.

'Well I still haven't worked out what the "2" or the "0" are yet but it's: 3 responsible 5 crimes, 8 plans and 9 kidnappers!' Abby told them. 'So...something-responsible-crimes-something-plans-kidnappers' she took a breath and still no one seemed to know exactly what she was talking about even though to her it was as clear as ink on a tattoo. 'Don't you get it?'

'Not really' Tony frowned, trying to put it together in a way it would make sense and be considered a lead or even a clue.

'Someone responsible for the crimes has something planned along with the kidnap!' Abby announced enthusiastically and allowed a few minutes for the information to sink into everyones minds before turning serious and adding the last thing she'd figured out. 'This is all just the beginning but someone wants this to end'.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Dun dun dun! Heh, this whole chapter was written based on that one last line :). Please review and let me know your thoughts!**

**Oh and if anyone is interested, should mention that I have a promo video for this fic that is currently uploading to youtube as I type and should be up by tonight/tomorrow. When I update next chapter, if it is up and viewable I'll mention to check the link in my profile. I will also have a promo/preview vid for my second part of this fic that I refer to as "moving forward" Very 'Meet the Robinsons' (yes, a movie reference) but eh...I wanted to call it something. Anyhow, once I'm done making it etc, I'll upload that as well but I think it will be best to wait until that point otherwise it's too spoilery.**

**Enjoy and please review! Should update Wednesday-ish!**

**-Mel**


	33. Daddy

**Author's Notes:** Sorry for the slightly late update, life is still hectic and I have been deticating a lot of time into my novel, almost half-way written! Thanks to my reviewers: **cyn23** (Thanks, and yeah it's good), **evincis** (Thanks!), **ginnypotterthe7th** (Thank-you! And your comments made me happy, glad to hear erm, read it!), **mia58** (Abby has many talents and she currently has the most resources and the only one not losing his/her mind over the kidnapping case. The mastermind behind "this" being the numbers? Case? Kidnapping?) and **NCISislikecupcakes** (thanks! I like to be unexpected).

And huge thanks to: **debook210** (Glad you loved the casefile tied to the number/Spike earlier and that Fornell was in it cuz he'll continue to be here and there. The comparision between Tony and Ziva now and 3 years ago was actually written without be being overly aware of what I was typing...more like it just came out so I had to go back and read it after your review, thanks! :) You like Spencer/Spike better than Eva/Eve? Interesting, cool), **immirose** (Heh. Your first comments about Tony did make sense and you're right. As for Tony refering to Simon as "biological father" and not "father" is because he doesn't consider Simon as Nathan's father at all and has also subconciously come to consider himself as the boy's father. I'm thrilled that you love how I write Fornell and that I have his friendship with Gibbs does good as I really hoped I had! Haha, I hope I wrote Abby write, I tried to make sure she was confusing til the end. If you have questions and you want the answers in the fic, please let me know so I make sure they are indeed answered because there are a lot and I lose track of some sometimes. Yes Eva and Spencer make an appearance this chapter...one of my more favourite ones hehe) and to new reviewer **AreethaShinozzo** (I like saying you username aloud, it's cool. Wow, indeed, your response made me happy. Your friend should be given a cupcake lol. You got in trouble in class cuz of my fic? I dunno if I should be proud or amused lol, hope it wasn't too bad. I'm happy to hear you like how I write Tony/Ziva/Tiva and Nathan is indeed cute! You don't like Eve/Eva...fair enough, a lot of people don't heh. Spike/Spencer did indeed help in a way, but the question is: for what reason? Glad you liked casefile 508 and yay, someone called me "Mel" not many people include my name, thanks. Looking forward to hearing from you again, enjoy!!). Still nothing from **Amber-chick** but I assume she is busy :P.

**Note:** The name for this chapter refers to the good and bad aspects of a father and specific comparisons etc, not just simply the Nathan/Tony thing that is going on.**

* * *

****Chapter thirty-three: Daddy**

Even with their new information (thanks to Abby) the team still had no strong leads to go on or any insightful clues to give them a direction to head in. The mystery of the casefile had been solved but now they were back to square one and on top of that they had to find a way to stop Kenny from blowing up the city and corrupting all authority in the entire country. Fair to say, days at NCIS were not as calm as they used to be. And adding to the load was non-other than Mossad Deputy Director Eli David.

It was a few days after Abby's brilliant but now bluntly obvious discovery and Jenny was about to conduct a video conference with Gibbs and Ziva beside her while Tony was in the squad room with Nathan. Abby and McGee were up in the lab looking for more clues and going over evidence but no one expected them to really find anything else with no new information since the casefile arrived or establishing another contact about Kenny's plan.

'I don't see why we have to wait here' Tony was complaining as he glanced up towards MTAC. 'I'm the senior field agent!'

'You're looking after Nathan' McGee replied, alerting Tony to his presence as he sat down and started typing at him computer.

'And where did you come from McMissing?' Tony eyed him after checking Nathan was still busy at his mother's desk with that much-loved IPod.

'Woudn't you like to know?' McGee smirked at Tony. He had only been up with Abby but McGee never missed a chance to annoy his co-worker who would have done the same thing to him tenfold.

Tony didn't take the bait though and just sighed, glancing towards MTAC again before settling to check his emails. The office was quiet once more and remained that way for at least another ten minutes. Nathan discarded the IPod as he had too much on his mind and just sat to watch Tony and McGee intereact until McGee got a call from Abby and left the squad room.

Nathan pondered for a moment and then slid off the chair and approached Tony's desk, now alerting the agent to the boy's staring.

'Bored?' Tony wondered and Nathan shook his head. 'Something wrong?'

'No, I don't think so' Nathan replied but his expression seemed a little shy and his tone lowered. 'I just wanted to know if you'll ever marry my mama?'

Tony almost chocked on his own oxygen when he heard that and did his best to remain calm. Although he felt dizzy and too shocked to answer for a moment, which gave Nathan the chance to continue.

'I heard a lot of people talking about it' Nathan added. 'They said you and my mama will marry...and marry means marriage, right?'

'Yes' Tony almost gasped out with a short nod before clearing his throat. 'People talk about us? Who?'

'Yup' Nathan nodded. 'Everyone. They think you and my mama will marry...is that true?'

'Are you interrogating me?' Tony joked, anything to avoid giving a rational, thought-through answer to his suddenly and rather alarming question of curiosity.

'Maybe' Natha laughed, finding it amusing. 'But I still wanna know' he said, his expression firming slightly.

'Ah...' Tony knew he had to give some sort of answer and that choking wasn't counted as a reply. 'I don't know...maybe' he shrugged and leaned back in his chair slightly. 'Not yet, anyway'.

'Okay' Nathan said but looked quite disappointed as his hopes in having Tony as his "Official" daddy wasn't going to be happening as soon as he'd wished when he'd overheard those rumours and bets.

Tony saw the boy's expression and gaze fall and debated on just brushing the topic aside but glanced around to check no one was listening before leaning closer to Nathan. 'Hey, I still love your mom a lot' he assured the boy.

'Do you...' Nathan stared at Tony again. 'Do you love me too?' he wondered as his mother always said how she loves him but Tony had never said that to him. Dad's were supposed to say that too, right?

'I do' Tony nodded and Nathan seemed very relieved by that, motivating Tony to continue. 'And you ah, you can call me "dad" or..."daddy" when it's just us if you like...until Ziva gets used to it or it's official' Tony said but realized it was probably a little rash and he hadn't consulted Ziva on such a decision yet as it was basically telling Nathan he was his dad. But seeing the relief and small smile from the boy when he said he loved him too...it made Tony feel important and he wanted the boy to know that he was fine with being his "father".

'I consider you like a son already, Nathan' he admitted as the boy looked nothing short of thrilled as he lunged at Tony and wrapped his arms around him but was unable to form something to say in reply until he released Tony.

'Thanks...' Nathan glanced around to check that they were relatively alone. 'Daddy'.

--

'And what are you proposing?' Jenny frowned as she spoke with Mossad Deputy Director Eli David while Gibbs and Ziva stood a few meters away.

'I wish for Ziva to return to Israel in order to brief my formally on all aspects of this case and to assist on a section of it from here. If the boy was abducted from Israel then there is a good reason to believe the one responsible was from Israel not America' Eli spoke but was watching Ziva when he said it.

Jenny turned to look at Ziva and even she could see the reluctance in her expression.

'Director, Agent Gibbs...may I request a private word with my father?' she asked but didn't really want to refer to the man as her "father".

'Of course' Jenny nodded and glared at Gibbs when he didn't make any move to leave.

Ziva watched her two superiors leave before turning back to face her father and felt rather nervous to what she was going to say. 'Father, I am dating an American man and my son, Nathan, looks to him as a father. Which is rightful as his own biological father was American' she took a gulp of air when Eli didn't reply but merely stared at her with an unreadable but not well-liked expression; as if he was analyzing her.

'And what is the importance of this?' he finally asked, refering to the case mostly.

'I will either bring my son and...boyfriend with me to discuss the mission and if you request me to return permenantly to Mossad, then my son stays in American with Tony' Ziva informed him and saw his unmasked surprise as she was making a very uncharacteristic and bold move but she felt Nathan would be safer in America. Would she actually leave him? Never. It was all part of her hopeful but risky plot to make her father see that pulling her away from America and her newfound friends wasn't going to be taken likely.

'Anthony DiNozzo?' Eli spoke, knowing she was refering to her NCIS partner as he'd done full research on the team before she was assigned there as a liason many years ago. His eyes narrowed and he cleared his throat, Ziva could tell he wasn't at all happy to her words or situation.

'Yes' Ziva replied, remaining strong and kept her focus as though they were merely talking business; it was usually all they talked about.

'Bring him if you must' Eli told her and then cut off the connection angrily.**

* * *

**

3 days ago...

'Well I feel tampered' Eva said dully as Spencer held open a cafe door for her where they were stopping for breakfast in an area just outside of Arlington.

'The word is: pampered' Spencer rolled his eyes and sat down to await a waitress and Eva sat across from him and she was frowning in dislike.

'I do not like being corrected' Eva snarled.

'If you wanna look stupid by...' Spencer went to say but saw how moody she was and decided against finishing his sentence as he didn't want to restrain her or fight her in the middle of a local cafe which would blow their cover or cause an undesirable scene. 'Where do we go from here?' he asked instead.

'A resturant, hopefully' Eva glanced around but turned serious. 'We have stick to our original plans sometime...but first we need to do a status check on Ziva and Nathan' she told him. 'Unless you have a problem with that?'

'Do I look like I have a problem with that?' Spencer asked as he drummed his fingers against the tabletop.

Eva shrugged and looked around for a waitress but still none came. 'Hey!' she stood up and yelled over everyone. 'We're hungry here!'

'Why do I bother?' Spencer sighed and rolled his eyes at her as he pulled out a map and began marking co-ordinates and locations.

--

**Present...**

Ziva left MTAC rather quickly but hardly briefed Gibbs and Jenny before strolling down the stairs and stopped in front of Tony's desk where he was showing Nathan a fancy car he'd Googled on his computer.

'Finally' Tony breathed as he saw her but disliked her expression. 'How did it go?'

'We must go to Israel to work on the case from there' Ziva replied bluntly.

'We?' Tony repeated but nodded. 'Okay' he agreed, almost looking forward to a chance to see Israel but he also knew how dangerous it could be. Mossad was a place of interest as well.

'Awesome!' Nathan grinned, getting excited after Tony's reply. 'We're going back to Israel!' he jumped up and down but Ziva did nothing to stop him, which caused Tony to think there was more to it that simply working on the kidnapping case. 'But this time Tony is coming!' Nathan continued. 'Like a family!'

'Yes' Ziva replied with a small but somewhat sad smile. 'like a family'.

--

After hearing the news of their return to Israel even as he wasn't really processing the reason for their return, Nathan worked extra hard with his schoolwork so he had nothing to do over the few days they would be spending in Israel. He studied all through the rest of the day and finished just moments before Ziva and Tony were about to announce that it was time to leave. They gathered their things and were about to walk out when Gibbs approached them with a grim look on his face.

'What is wrong?' Ziva asked the instant she saw his expression.

'The body of Kenny has showed up East of Alexandria, waterlogged' Gbbs informed them and Nathan seemed quite thrilled to hear that as it meant he wasn't going to hurt anyone and the most dangerous kidnapper was gone forever.

'Do not appear too happy when someone is found dead' Ziva warned her son but at least he appeared to have gotten over his grief of killing a man himself. 'It is sometimes a bigger satisfaction to keep it inside' she added, only half admitting she was doing so herself. Although Ziva wished she had been the one to dump Kenny's body in a river.

Gibbs noticed Nathan wasn't as tense or worried involving the kidnappers now when weeks ago he would freak out and get upset. It made him wonder what exactly made it easier for the boy to cope but he had three days to ponder that and got his mind back to business. 'I got nothing useful from the interrogation of Bruce' he informed them and Ziva was in instant attention. 'And no you may not go near him' Gibbs added as she opened her mouth. 'Jack isn't talking yet but he will'.

'Bribe him' Nathan suggested but got another odd look from his mother and went quiet, mumbling softly to himself that it was what Spike always did to make Bruce talk.

'When are you leaving for Israel?' Gibbs wondered after sipping his coffee while eyeing Nathan curiously.

'Tomorrow' Ziva replied rather quickly but surely.

'Tomorrow?' Tony repeated from his desk. 'Isn't that a little soon?' he asked, moving to stand beside Ziva as they were about to leave for the day.

'I wish to get this over with' Ziva sighed and Tony saw that she really wasn't looking forward to seeing her father again; it made him wonder why.

* * *

**Author's Notes: I just hope no-one is getting sick of Israel being visited constantly (or so it seems tat ay to me, I think it's only been used like once so far?) but it will be happening a fair bit as Ziva is from that country, her father is there, Mossad is there, it's Nathan's birth country and also is involved with the kidnapping case :P. Although each visit will have something new.**

**Anyhow, thanks for reading and I hope you leave me a review! Next update should be Monday-Wednesday. Could be any of those 3 days. Let me know whatcha think!**

**-Mel**


	34. A Journey Worth Taking

**Author's notes:** The update was delayed due to this stupid site deciding not to let me access my documents or stories, so I would say "sorry" but it was beyond my control. I must also hurry with these A/N as my time is short right now (long, unrelevant story there) but I WILL update again soon, promise. I thank my wonderful reviewers: **evincis, ginnypotterthe7th, mia 58, cyn23, swfap88, ncisislikeupcakes, nepeace, erikaadelante, citroentje94** and **sbteja**. I would love nothing more than to sit here and answer each of your comments as they mean so much to me but as stated - my time is short and I want to get this updated asap as it's overdue. I might be able to send some PM's later if I can.

Although I do have to answer my major reviewers, so thanks to: **leobold1**(You won't get to see Aunt Nettie yet, although I intend to have her in the story in the future)**,** **areethashinozzo**(I don't mind psycho reviewers, it's a good kind of psycho that I am familiar with!)**, debook210 **(There will be no talks with Gibbs from Tony or Nathan on those topics as of yet, but you can be sure there will be talks coming soon, but not too soon as I have something rather...interesting, planned. And the youtube promo for this if cis indeed up, will post the like in my profile very soon! As for Spencer/Eva's relationship, it's not as cryptic asthe Eva/Ziva connection was, so it probably wont' be too big a surprise when I reveal it officially, although theirs is bigger than Tony/Zivas)and** immirose **(Spencer and Eva are simular to Tony and Ziva in terms of how they intereact sometimes but yeah, I see what you mean. It wasn't overly intentional when I started riting them but it fits well so I went with it. There is a interesting story behind their relationship/partnership as you stated, but I must warn that it'sa lot...deeper, than most in terms of what they've been through that as them knowing each other so well. They have known each other quite a long time by now). Also thanks to **Amber-chick** for your review, but I will PM you on that! Sorry for the shortening in responses everyone, I really wish I could expand but anyway...on with the story! Enjoy.**

* * *

**

**Chapter thirty-four: A journey worth taking**

It was rather early the following morning and while the offices were mostly quiet and empty, Tony DiNozzo could be seen working at his desk and finishing paperwork while Ziva was down in the garage with Nathan. She was having a private word with her son and explained to him that they were returning to Israel to work on the case of his kidnappers, making sure he understood the situation.

'Your grandfather may not be happy about Tony' Ziva warned Nathan, trying to prepare him for what may happen.

'Why?' Nathan wanted to know but Ziva came prepared.

'We are Jewish, Tony is not. He is also American and Italian but not from Israel...there is nothing wrong with that as your real father was American as well. Your grandfather is just not sure how to react toward Tony' Ziva explained the best she could.

'I understand' Nathan replied even though he was still rather confused but got the basics right. 'And mama?' he looked at her firmly, which worried her for a moment.

'Yes, my love?' Ziva asked curiously.

'Tony is my dad' the boy said strongly. 'I don't have any other father'.

--

It was just after seven in the morning when Ziva returned and left Nathan with Tony as he was done with his work and she needed to talk to Jenny.

'Good morning, Agent McGee' Nathan said as he spotted him typing sleepily over at his desk.

'Morning Nathan' McGee smiled at him, slightly surprised with the greeting as it didn't have every morning. He noticed the way the boy watched him curiously and decided he should say something else. 'Are you looking forward to going back to Israel?'

'Yeah, I guess so' Nathan shrugged and sat at his mother's desk to wait for her, but she wasn't very long.

'I need to show you something, Nathan' Gibbs said as he strolled into the squad room with a fresh cup of coffee in one hand and a few files in another, which were discarded on his desk.

'And Abby needs to talk to you after' Ziva added, approaching the group.

'You're very popular' McGee joked to Nathan and the boy smiled.

'I don't know if that's good or bad' Nathan said as he left to follow Gibbs and McGee got a call from another agent with a computer glitch and went to help him out.

'And then there were two' Tony sighed as he looked around, now finding himself rather bored with the office.

'Do not do what you are thinking of doing' Ziva frowned.

'I wasn't...' Tony laughed but stopped the instant she glared at him threatenly. 'Uh...I gotta ask you something though' he said and she crossed her arms, waiting. 'Would you ever consider marriage?' he asked casually but shoved his hands into his pockets a little nervously when Ziva appeared quite startled by his question. 'Nathan brought it up' Tony explained quickly. 'I was curious'.

Ziva studed his expression for a moment and calmed down, now returning to her casual and firm expression as well as tone. 'It would be too dangerous' she replied and glanced away.

Tony nodded and thought for a moment, knowing she wanted him to drop the topic and she had a lot on her mind but his curiosity just wouldn't rest. 'What if it wasn't dangerous or with any mortal risk...would you?'

Ziva's eyes hardly met his before she answered. 'Yes' she replied without a beat and walked out of the squad room, leaving Tony there to dwell on the amount of certaincy she'd put into her one-worded reply. She'd clearly thought about the possibilty of being married before he'd asked her; with the hastiness of the reply and the amount of confidence she had in her answer.

* * *

'Do you need to go to the bathroom?' Ziva asked Nathan as they and Tony (followed by three Mossad escorts) arrived at the airport.

Nathan shook his head and took hold of Tony and Ziva's hands with his own, making their way towards the large plane that was awaiting them.

'We are getting too good at this' Spike sighed as he and Eve made their way onto the same plane in which the others were unaware of with their clever disguises and backgrounds.

--

Nathan sat beside his mother so he could look out the window and Tony took the seat beside Ziva, getting rather comfortable in the leather seats but Ziva could tell he was nervous even as he tried to hide it.

'I've never been to Israel' Tony announced as the plane began to take-off.

'Never?' Nathan pulled his gaze away from the window and amused the adults when he started talking non-stop about Israel and the things he saw on his last visit that he'd already told Tony about but still felt the need to say again.

'Sounds exciting' Tony replied enthusiastically and Nathan flashed a grin before turning back to stare out the window in interest.

'You're enjoying this' Ziva noticed in surprise. Her tone sounded as though she was accusing him of something horrible.

'Is that a crime, Officer Dah-veed?' Tony teased.

'No, but if you call me that again I will hurt you' Ziva frowned but Tony just smirked and rested a hand on her leg. The pair exchanged a smile for several more seconds until she glanced away to make sure her son was okay.

Hardly twenty minutes into the flight, Tony began to notice Ziva's expression more as she started to let her guard drop and calmed down.

'You look tired' Tony observed.

'That is because I am' Ziva said and stiffled a yawn.

'It's a long flight, get some rest' Tony advised. 'You'll need it for when we land and besides...I'm here along with the three scary Mossad Officers, no one is gonna try anything'.

Ziva did not like his statement but looked over at the alert Mossad Officers sitting nearby. The woman was watching her son like a hawk and it was hard to tell if she was blinking or not. The two men a few seats from the woman paid intense attention to the other passengers and staff; it was clear that Eli David had requested the best Officers he had for this job.

'Very well' Ziva gave in as she was indeed exhausted and Tony was right: she'd need her strength and alertness for when it came time to land.

* * *

Nathan turned away from the window as the clouds were losing their interest and he noticed that his mother had fallen asleep against Tony's shoulder and looked surprisingly comfortable. Tony also didn't seem the slightest bothered as he read a magazine casually.

'This is a nice plane' Nathan said to Tony, taking advantage of the fact that it was just the two of them but he was also testing just how asleep his mother was and as it seemed, she didn't wake. 'Wow, mama's tired'.

'Yeah' Tony nodded and closed his magazine to glance at the boy. 'Did you see Superman?' he attemped to joke while gesturing towards the window.

'No' Nathan replied, having been introduced to the Superman movies less than a month ago. 'It's really cloudly today' he added and smiled a little.

'You look happy' Tony commented in relief. 'That's good'.

'I feel safe' Nathan replied. 'And you're coming with us! I get to show you Mossad and you can meet my Grandpa although mama said he might not be happy to see you'.

'Yeah, but I'm not worried' Tony said even though he was actually a bit nervous.

'I might actually miss NCIS though' Nathan sighed. 'Oh, and why do you call Agent McGee Probie?' he wondered.

Tony laughed softed as Nathan looked very confused. 'Probie is short for Probationary...basically means he's a newbie' He explained. 'Well, he's not anymore but I like to call him that name since we're friends' he shrugged.

'I thought it wasn't nice to call people names?' Nathan narrowed his eyes a little.

'Yeah but he doesn't mind. I mean he knows I'm not being mean, I'm just...' Tony wasn't sure what else to say so quickly changed the topic in a less-obvious way. 'Do you have a middle name?' he asked.

'I don't know what it is' Nathan shrugged. 'Mama sighed my name on a form once and it was: Nathan A David'.

'Hm' Tony said and hoped the _"A"_ didn't stand for _"Ari"._

'Excuse me' Eva smiled to one of the attendants as she moved past her after leaving the bathroom and headed to the opposite end of the plane where Spencer was reading a newspaper boredly. She knew she'd have to pass Nathan but as she got closer she noticed Tony had the chair nearst her and that Ziva was...asleep?

'Daddy, do you think we could go see the Military jets?' Nathan asked Tony as Eva brushed some black hair from her face (a rather realistic wig, she knew. But it was longer than her real hair and always got in her face) when she walked past and overheard.

'I don't know, you'll have to asked your mom when she wakes up' Tony replied.

Eva continued walking past him, keeping her face hidden strategically yet so casually that it slipped right past his notice. She seated herself beside Spencer as they remained mostly hidden near the back and his face was still buried in the newpaper as she tapped his leg gently to get his attention.

'I'm listening' he replied softly but calmly, his eyes not moving from where he was reading.

'I was walking past the boy and I heard something' she told him with a divious smile.

'Is that so?' Spencer replied dully but hissed through his teeth as she pinched him rather hard. He looked at her slightly with a glare and waited for her to continue.

'I think we have a very interesting new development in our plans' Eva smirked.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Sorry the chapter is a little short, but I had to make it only the scenes near the beginning and the plane. I wanted the actual Israel trip to have a chapter of its own, which is next chapter. You won't be disapointed! Anyways, please review and I will update over the next few days. Since you have waited longer than usual (curses site) I will update asap.**

**-Mel :)**


	35. Is This a Challenge?

**Author's Notes:** Sorry! Once again my time is short, but as promised...here is the update! Thanks to **mia58, missbodee, nepeace, shella-bella, cyn23, ginnypotterthe7th, ncisislikecupcakes, bluestriker666** and** evincis.** Glad y'all liked it!

And a HUGE thanks to: **Areethashinozzo** (Eva is a passenger, not a flight attendant, as answer to your confusion. If she was a flight attendant she'd have to asociate with the passengers and Tony/Ziva/Nathan may recognized her. As a passenger she has so far evaded her face from view. It would be a risk for Tony and Ziva to get married based on their jobs, and various other things I will explain in due time, but the last spoke from Ziva's pint of opinion, she thinks there would be no greater risk. Tony knew this and went along with it. Being married makes it more permenant and official...think of Eli's reaction!), **Immirose** (Eva/Spencer are the definition of "blending in"! Haha, I'm not a spy, just a good writer and someone that watches a lot of TV and movies lol. What Eva overheard is not a good thing but soon more bad guys will be introduced so she may be the least of their problems...) and **debook210** (Nathan can't recognize Spencer because he's hidden by the newspaper and well out of view, plus too good at his job. He can't recognize Eva because she'd disguised and evading looking at them expertly. Also none have spoken near the boy so their voices haven't been picked up on. Their brilliant tactics. Ziva considers marriage dangerous on every possible level. She wants Tony in her life forever though, she doesn't realize it yet or want to risk changing anything to make that happen).

**Anything underlined is in Hebrew! **Enjoy!!**

* * *

Chapter thirty-five: Is this a challenge?**

_'Nathan' Ziva said softly as she crouched down to the tearful three-year-old that was her son. __'Do not worry, I will be home before you know it. Ari will take good care of you'__ she kissed atop his head and then stood up to give her brother a firm stare._

_'And could you enlighten me as to how I am supposed to entertain a three-year-old?'__ Ari asked as he looked down at the small boy that was attached to his mother's leg._

_'Take him to the park'__ Ziva replied. __'Feed him, do not let him stay up late and make sure he has plenty of water'._

_There is not much difference between children and dogs'__ Ari sighed but recieved a sharp punch in his arm from Ziva. _

_'Don't go!'__ Nathan pleaded and hugged his mother even tighter._

_'I have to, my love'__ Ziva told him and detached his grip from her leg before handing him a reluctant Ari. __'I will bring you back something'._

_'Promise?'__ Nathan sniffed._

_'Yes'__ Ziva kissed him again and then turned to board her plane, leaving Ari standing there with the child. The pair watched the plane take off and then Ari look down at him with a thoughtful expression._

_'Do you know how to fight?' Ari wondered if the boy would be capable of standing up for himself had he ever needed to, plus he wasn't very good at having conversations with small children.._

_Nathan looked confused for a moment but then worked out the English and shrugged, still feeling sad to his mother's departure._

_'We will have to make sure you can'__ Ari nodded and turned to leave, holding the three-year-old firmly as he glanced around the airport and nodded to a blonde-woman in the far distance before walking away and proceeded to place the child into the backseat of his car._

--

'Nathan?' Ziva placed her hand on his shoulder, bringing him from his sleep. 'We are here, my love'.

'Israel?' Nathan mumbled and sat more upright in his seat, noticing that they had indeed landed in Tel Aviv, Israel.

The group left the plane behind everyone else except for the female Mossad Officer and were greeted by Eli David and his own set of escorts.

'Ziva, Shalom!' Eli smiled and placed his hands on her cheeks and then patted Nathan's head. 'And my only grandson, you are looking well' he commented. 'Not to worry boy' he added as Nathan looked around rather nervously. 'No one can get you here, they will be shot at least three times before they could reach you'.

Nathan nodded and felt his mother's hands on his shoulders as if it was an attempt to steer him away from his grandfather but she changed her mind split-second.

'And you...' Eli hardly glanced at Tony. '...must be NCIS Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, welcome to Israel'.

'Thank you, sir' Tony nodded but noticed the less-cheerful greeting he received from Ziva's father and Mossad Deputy Director, but he didn't care too much as he'd kinda expected it.

--

'Eva' Spencer spoke firmly from a long distance as they watched Eli David greet the passengers. He placed a hand on her shoulder in case he had to restrain her.

'I am trying' Eva snarled softly as she fought her urges to kill the man that had caused all her misery.

'Come, we need to move' Spike encouraged, forcing her to back away from the scene that he knew made her blood boil.

'Get off me!' Eve said and shoved him off but then following him away as they went to hide. Although once she was out of view of the group she calmed down and Spencer stood by her side again, patting her back ever so slightly but she seemed to apreciate the touch and didn't shove him away again.

* * *

Back at NCIS, the case had been put on brief hold with the absence of two primary agents in Gibbs' team and the threat of another kidnapping taking place was ceased for the time being with Nathan under such strong custody.

'Hey McGee' Abby smiled as she saw him enter her lab with a Caf-Pow!

'Hey Abs' McGee replied and glanced around. 'What are you doing?' he wondered.

'Long hours of nothing' Abby said as she eyed him while sipping at her Caf-Pow! 'You?'

'The same' McGee sighed. 'Gibbs is with the Director and has been all morning. It's really quiet without Tony but I do miss seeing Nathan around'.

'He's a lot like Ziva, hey?' Abby smirked. 'And he's been around Tony long enough to have picked up a few of his traits'.

'What do you mean?' McGee wondered. 'Besides the pizza and movies'.

'Haven't you noticed?' Abby asked as though she was ashamed of him. 'The way he calls Gibbs _"boss"_ sometimes and how he rests his feet on the desk when Gibbs or Ziva aren't there and he plays with Tony's cell phone'.

'How do you know?' McGee asked. 'I'm at the office more than you'.

'Never underestimate the power of technology, McGee' Abby frowned and tapped a few keys on her computer and a frozen image from the security cameras in the bulpen came up. It was of Tony staring at something on his computer screen while Nathan sat at Ziva's desk with Tony's phone, but his feet weren't on the desk this time.

'You've been watching them?' McGee asked, more surprise that he hadn't seen this coming rather than the fact that Abby had been watching them in her short free time at the end of the day.

'Well...yeah' Abby shrugged like it was obvious and glanced at her watch. 'They should have landed by now' she said. 'Awe, they're so great together!' she giggled slightly, changing the image to one of Ziva leaning over Tony's desk to ask him something while Nathan stood near the edge of the desk.

McGee nodded with a sigh but saw Abby's expression change. 'Abs?'

'I wonder if we've missed something?' She mused, now closing the images and the computer screen returned to its usual blank state.

'About Tony and Ziva?' McGee asked, unsure what she was refering to with her determined gaze.

'No not those two, that was obvious' Abby shook her head. 'I meant the kidnappers...we're missing something'.

'I agree' Jenny replied from where she stood in the doorway with Gibbs by her side. They had just reached the lab and with the expressions set on their faces, McGee knew it couldn't be something good.

'We need to look at this from another angle' Gibbs announced as he walked into the lab and Jenny followed. 'We need to examine this in a different way!'

* * *

It was almost afternoon when Eli and his visitors properly got together to discuss the case, but Tony was rather surprised to the fact the Deputy Director wanted to have the conversation outdoors; clearly he was confident Nathan would not be taken again while under heavy watch...didn't he realize they had already been betrayed by Eva? By Ari?

'You believe this is my fault?' Eli asked as he frowned at his daughter, noting her distrust and anger.

'No' Ziva said so shortly that while her father seemed to ignore her expression, Tony knew Ziva was lying on some part...but how did she consider her father to be responsible for her losing her son as well...perhaps she hadn't filled him in completely on the abduction. But Tony didn't mind this time because Ziva had opened up to him a lot but that didn't mean he expected her to bear her soul and nor would he want her to. One thing Tony liked about Ziva was how he didn't know everything about her, it kept her mysterious and able to surprise him. Plus he kept some things to himself also, for different reasons though...more selfish reasons.

Tony snapped out of his thoughts and focused back on the case, adding in his own information at times even though he strongly suspected that Eli did not want to hear him. Nathan was sitting on a stone wall that came to just above Tony's knees and the boy took notice of him joining in on the case so he felt a little left out and started adding a few details even if they probably already knew them. But the boy's attention did not stay firm as he looked across a road and gasped, spotting a carnival nearby and he jumped off the wall. No one had heard his gasp because it was so silent and as Nathan stood there he assessed his options before making a choice and grabbed at Tony.

'I wanna see the carnival!' he announced, breaking the conversation. 'Please?'

'We have more important matters at hand' Eli replied, no doubt used to his position of control, but Ziva frowned at him and turned to her son while Tony looked loss of a decision.

'He is a child, papa' Ziva said as calmly as she could from where she stood beside Tony. 'He is also our-my son' she bit her lip with her near slip-up but while the two boys missed it, her father did not and his eyes narrowed even further. 'Tony can take him to see the carnival if he wants to'.

'I insist' Tony replied almost right away.

'No' Eli said. 'I would like a private word with Agent DiNozzo' he said and Ziva cast a questioning look at Tony before nodding and taking her son's hand as they headed towards the carnival and Eli signaled the escorts he wanted to follow them; even Ziva seemed to make sure they were close as well.

'You wanted to talk to me?' Tony asked, feeling a bit nervous and the man was rather intimidating but he stood his ground. If Eli was going to tell him to stay away from Ziva...the man was going to have a fight on his hands.

'Yes, Anthony' Eli said, noting the slight dislike Tony had for his full name. 'What are your true motives for being in a relationship with my daughter?'

'Motives?' Tony echoed, a bit surprised by the question but moved to answer it anyway, wondering how it wasn't obvious and how mistrusting Mossad really were. 'I don't know' he replied sarcastically. 'Maybe because I love her?'

'And how are you certain of this...feeling?' Eli asked, his expression never changing and his tone remained even. He was much harder to read than Ziva was, but Tony considered the reason for that was because the man was less human.

'Have you ever been in love before?' Tony asked but did not await a reply. 'You just know'.

'And will there be a long-term future for this relationship?' Eli frowned a little now, seeming more annoyed by Tony's strength to stand up to him so calmly rather than the answers he was giving him.

'Ask Ziva' Tony chose his reply wisely, hiding the fact he was expecting to be shot at any moment and then thrown into a river...some sort of _"Rosmary's baby"_ turn of events.

Eli opened his mouth to say something else, possivly less-civil...but Nathan came running over and clung to Tony for a moment but when the boy looked up, he smiled.

'I want you to see something' Nathan told him, acting as though his gandfather wasn't even there.

'Is that so?' Tony replied, taking the same tactic but Eli just watched the intereaction between Tony and his family. Eli noticed how Tony corrected Ziva's English automatically and how Nathan was just so natural with the man...perhaps he had been wrong to think Tony would only cause complications in his daughter and grandson's life?

'I will meet you all for dinner later tomorrow night, Ziva knows where' Eli told them and left.

'He sure is a piece of work' Tony mumbled and let Nathan hold his hand to try and pull him towards the carnival.

'What did he say?' Ziva asked the second her father was out of earshot.

'Nothing I couldn't handle, sweetcheeks' Tony kissed her cheeks and ignored her scowl. 'Now Nathan...what is this exciting new discovery that you wish to share with me, young traveller?' he asked in a accent that sounded rather Southern and poorly done but it made Nathan laugh nonetheless.

--

But as the family enjoyed their little "holiday" a man was walking down the same street and spotted the group as he called for a cab. He paused and did a re-look before pulling out his phone with an unpleasent grin.

'You won't beleive who I've just found' he told the person on the other end and then hung up, crossing the street and stood nearby to examine a carnival ride while keeping the group in his sight range so he could varify that it was truly them.

* * *

After a long day at the carnival, the group headed back to the place Ziva once considered her home but now it was just a mostly empty appartment with two bedrooms. Nathan was thrilled to be there though as it had his original room from when he had been three and younger. Their last visit to Israel had him avoiding it as it was some bad omen to him back then and he refused to sleep in his own bed, but now Nathan wanted to see it again and enjoy it. Ziva even told him they could ship some of his things back to America if he wanted them to.

Tony also enjoyed looking at the room as it was clearly for a young child with the colourful elephants, space rockets and various other things along with an old cot that he noticed Ziva stared at sadly for a moment before she turned to make dinner but he followed her and insisted on helping.

Nathan left his room as he heard a strange sound, only to find it was his mother's laughter and it made him smile as he peaked out of his room to watch his mother and father, yes...his parents. Ziva was trying to chop up vegetables but Tony kept stealing a few peices and eating them as he was hungry. But when Ziva slapped his hand the next time, he lightly picked her up around the middle and moved her while Ziva simply laughed at the action. As she approached him again, he lifted one arm and wrapped it around her waist as he just stood beside her and watched her chop vegetables.

It was a seemingly innocent scene but Nathan knew that things had changed between his parents, that while they had both assured him they had always cared for each other, he just knew that things were better now. His mother was less stressed and she laughed a lot more...it changed his thought process too. He had always wondered when they were going to be a family, but now he wondered when they had become a family but he had failed to notice it at the time.

--

The dinner with Eli David soon came around the following night and everyone seated themselves, dressed formally as they awaited the man himself but as Ziva predicted: he was on time and he came in looking all-important. He seated himself and they all ordered while Tony had been secretly looking forward to trying the food here.

They spoke casually over dinner and Eli finally paid a bit more attention to Nathan by asking about his studies of both languages and after learning he wanted to know Italian too, he was actually impressed.

'The more languages you speak the more valuable you will be in the area of...well, let's just say international communications' Eli smiled and noticed Ziva flexing her neck slowly and both men at the table knew this meant she was getting a headache, trying to remain calm and could potentially cause a great deal of bodily harm. 'So...' Eli glanced away from his daughter and back to his now-empty plate. 'I think it is time we addressed the more important details of this little gathering' he said and Ziva wondered when his English improved so greatly.

'I agree' Nathan said, surprising the others with his efforts to be important and very grown-up as he was sitting with three important people and sharing a meal in a very fancy hotel resturant.

'You say Eva Jose is one responsible?' Eli asked Ziva and she nodded, discarding her plate. 'Intriguing, she did take a great deal of interest in you' he stated and sipped from his wine while Ziva cast Tony a look that said "_not that kind of interest, Tony!_".

Ziva sighed at her partner's inabilty to keep his mind out of the gutter and turned back to face her father. 'In her first year, yes but she was another young Officer' she said, dismissing the fact that there were clues she had so bluntly missed that led up to her son's abduction. 'I do admit she spoke to me more often...is that the word?' she asked Tony and he gulped down his wine before nodding. 'Yes, often...and then she was taking a lot of leave from Mossad a year before she left' she glanced at her son as he tried to sneak some of her wine. 'Nathan' she frowned and turned back to her father, not noticing Tony lean towards the boy.

'It's not all that good' Tony whispered and Nathan smirked a little as he nodded and grabbed his glass of juice.

'She had an...unfortunate, accident' Eli said and that caught everyone's full attention as he clearly knew something more about Eva Jose than he was letting on and Ziva instantly picked up on that fact but said nothing. 'Soon it became too much for her to handle and she moved on' he said but didn't seem at all that bothered. 'Shame, she had potential too' he sipped his wine again and Tony wondered how Ziva became so loving if her father appeared this heartless.

'I am sending you back to America tomorrow' Eli added, directing the conversation away from Eva. 'You will be of more use there, we have everything under control here' he then dropped the subject altogether and turned to Tony, making it clear that the discussion was over. 'So Agent DiNozzo...how long have you been in the NCIS call of duty?' he asked casually but Ziva considered it a good sign if her father was acknowledging her boyfriend's existance in a non-threatening way. Or so it would seem.

--

But Eli David was a busy man and soon their meeting was soon cut shorter than planned without even moving on to the second course, much to Tony's disappointment. They were putting on coats and preparing to leave when Ziva turned to her father, leaving Tony a slight distance away to help Nathan.

'What are you not telling me?' Ziva asked her father but remained in English as Nathan picked up on Hebrew even more and she didn't want to worry him, even if she was sure the pair were out of earshot anyway.

'It is nothing relevant' Eli insisted calmly, dismissing it with his expression and tone but his gaze remained fixated on hers, as if challenging her or testing her patience.

'I do not believe you' Ziva replied, searching his eyes for something to indicate she had a right to know what he was lying about but as usual, his eyes were as dull and bank as they had always been. She gave him no chance to defend himself as she turned and purposefully walked out of the hotel with her family...her real family.

* * *

It was two days later that their plane landed back on American soil, which Tony had phrased it and then went on about the movie until Nathan complained he was too tired for "movie talk" and it made Ziva laugh. It was late morning and with nothing else to do, the group decided to drop by NCIS earlier than they planned.

They were all relieved to be back to the one place the three of them considered home and each tried to push the concerning thoughts out of their minds to just enjoy the ride to NCIS. Ziva had even zoned out completly as she thought about Eva Jose and wondered how she had missed so many details but on second thought, she was caring for a three-year-old in a dangerous country but then she wondered what kind of "accident" caused Eva to leave Mossad...she had been so passionate about it. Ziva had even considered the woman her competition for ranks and they argued at times but she had never picked up a vibe that Eva hated her...had Ziva really gotten it all so wrong back then?

Nathan was in the backseat flipping pages in a Hebrew book he'd been given in Israel while Ziva was off in her own world of thoughts...but Tony was focused as he was driving and it wasn't long before he noticed something desturbing.

'We're being followed' he said and both other pasengers looked up in full alert and concern. Nathan turned around to see a dark SUV with shaded windows following their car as Tony took a sharp right.

'Nathan, stay down' Ziva said and now wished she'd been driving but then a blue car came out of nowhere and blocked them, forcing Tony to hit the brakes hard to avoid a collision.

'Don't move!' a man yelled, appearing out of nowhere as he pointed an automatic weapon at Tony and more men approached with guns pointed at Ziva. They pulled open the backdoors and Nathan's eyes widened in pure fear to the guns pointed at his own head.

Perhaps they should have called NCIS to let them know they were coming. Perhaps they should not have been so eager to get home and booked their flight so obviously. Perhaps this was one situation that was going to take more than a lucky shooter and good reflexes to get out of...

* * *

**Author's Notes: How's that for a longer chapter? Ooooh cliffhanger! Sorry, but guilty pleasure plus the chapter would go too long and I would get no reviews, heh. Seriously though, it will be waaay too long. Will update again but please review and let me know whatcha think of this chapter!!**

**-Mel**


	36. Gunpoint

**Author's Notes:** Gah, computer probs. Anyway thanks to: **cyn32, swfap88, NCISislikecupcakes, bluestriker666, shella-belle, mia58** (Eva isn't responsible for this kidnapping and no she did not tell her boss she and Spencer/Eva followed them to Israel), **evincis** (thanks), **GinnyPotterthe7th** (Eva and Spencer were hired for their jobs so yeah, there are more people that hate Ziva) and **just another tomboy.**

Also huge thanks to** areethashinozzo** (lol. And the man at the carnival called the man that ordered this kidnapping, just so y'all know...but that's all I'm saying before you read the chapter. There is a connection between Eva and Spencer which you're about to find more clues to and by next chapter you will know how they know each other. And Nathan's not the only one in danger now), **immirose** (In terms of Ari and the kidnapping I wouldn't say he has a "connection" as per se, but he does have some form of link. Eli knows more than he is letting on, yes. The man that the guy from the carnival called has everything to do with the entire kidnapping plot of the fic. Thanks) and a special thanks to new reviewer: **sbteja** (True, Eva and Spencer are not responsible for what happened at the end of last chapter but I must say they're not too far behind in the events like NCIS is. Yes the carnival man is linked directly to this event. True, Eva and Spencer are the "watch and wait" kinda, they didn't do this. Thanks).**

* * *

Chapter thirty-six: Gunpoint**

It was certainly not a good position to be in as a parent and as an NCIS Agent/Mossad Officer. Ziva was tied to a chair almost two or three meters from where Tony was also tied to a chair. The ropes were professionally bound and the floor was too clean of any objects as they were trapped inside an abandoned building. Nathan was nearby where a man was holding him so tight his arm was hurting but he could not get away as a gun was pointed to both of his parent's heads. It was like a triangle, with Tony and Ziva at two points and Nathan caught in the middle; the center of attention.

Nathan stood there captivated by fear as Ziva was furious and yelling while Tony was desperately trying to find a way around the situation. But no one could keep their thoughts up long for while they had been like that for almost an hour and with no reply from their captors...that was about to change.

A door near the back opened and a man dressed in blue but light-toned clothing approached. He had dark hair and a small beard, but while his appearance did not offer much description as to who he was or his motives...his eyes said it all. Dark, cold and hungry...three things that were not good in enemy eyes. He approached near Nathan, standing on the boy's left side as he tapped a gun against his palm softly and stared at Ziva and then Tony.

'I give you my greetings, Ziva and Agent DiNozzo' he spoke in a calm voice but it was lined with danger and authority, making the other men stand up straighter and Ziva's glare was set to deadly. 'Of course I know all about you but you know nothing about me' the man shrugged and proceeded to introduce himself. 'I am Winston Jeffries...the man second-in-charge to the kidnapping of this young man' he brushed a hand through Nathan's hair that made the boy flinch and move away instinctly.

'Why do you want my son?!' Ziva screamed angrily, fighting her restraints even more.

'Nathan is a vessel of getting to the truth...of accomplishing so much' Winston told her calmly but did not explain. 'We were raising him to be a terrorist' he elaborated slightly but Ziva and Tony still felt as though the two statements were unlinked.

'I will never be one!' Nathan declared bravely. He was madder now that he realized why they took him to the places they set up bombs...why they made him watch their crimes as training for what he was supposed to do, and it made him sick. Nathan never wanted to hurt people the way those monsters did. 'Never' he added again.

Winston frowned at the boy and glared slightly before hitting him across the face so hard Nathan yelped out and his hand rose to his cheek. His eyes welled up from pain but his fear was back and he said nothing more.

Ziva's blood boiled over at the sight and sound of that man inflicting harm upon her son. She knew he'd been hurt and put through hell but to actually see and hear it with her own eyes yet be useless to stop it...there was only wonder as to what she'd have been capable of if she had her hands been untied. But now Tony was losing it as well, seeing the boy so vunerable and hurt while another man stood beside him as the cause of it...he wanted to wrap his hands around Winston and break his neck. Not something he was capable of doing right now but as he glanced at Ziva he knew that if either of them were to break free...all hell would break loose.

* * *

The following day; the day in which Gibbs found out from Abby that Tony, Ziva and Nathan's flight landed the previous day but yet there were no phone calls or visits from them. Gibbs sat at his desk a little after eight in the morning and wondered where the three were, but he soon came to a conclusion as a gut feeling told him strongly that something was very wrong.

'McGee!' Gibbs barked and made the younger agent jump. 'Run a trace on Tony and Ziva's cars, cell phones and anything else!' he said, reaching for his desk phone to try the group at home again.

'On it boss!' McGee said right away but a sense of dread was filling him as well...Gibbs was worried, so something was obviously not going to come back as good news.

--

Tony and Ziva had slept in their restraining chairs all night, but with guns pointed at them from all directions they knew a bullet would be what they would get for even moving their feet to keep the blood flowing. Nathan had been taken from the room and chained to a bed for sleep until he was rudely woken the next morning and their captors picked up exactly where they had left off the previous day, but it wasn't just a casual talk this time.

Winston was now the one holding Nathan in a death grip but the boy was determinded to squirm until he almost broke free and his arm was yanked, making his face almost hit Winston's as he stared at him.

'I will break your arm if you try to get away' Winston snarled and squeezed Nathan's arm briefly as an indication that he could not be more serious about his threat. He moved back and watched two of his men interrogate Ziva and then Tony, but Nathan continued to squirm slightly.

A sound jerked Nathan to his senses and while his squirming was almost non-existant, his attention was set strong on his parents. The men interrogating them were not just demanding unanswered questions but using other methods; when Ziva told them nothing she would be slapped hard across the face whereas if Tony gave a movie reference or sarcastic joke in avoidance to answering...he would recieve a punch to the face.

Nathan gulped and was quickly getting upset to seeing both Tony and Ziva in so much pain simply because they were not cowards and refused to give answers for their own sake.

'P-please' he pleaded to Winston. 'Don't hurt them!' he asked but Winston didn't even blink as he continued to watch the scene. Nathan turned back and tears welled up in his eyes as Ziva got another slap. 'M-mommy!' he sobbed, trying to pull his arm free again moments before Tony got another punch. 'D-daddy!' Nathan gulped and shut his eyes to try and erase the images. Tony had his left side to Nathan and Ziva her right, so he couldn't see their faces too well but Ziva was receiving the most slaps and Tony had blood on his face.

'We're okay, Nathan' Tony's voice made the boy reopen his eyes, even if he thought Tony didn't sound overly okay.

'We love you, do not worry' Ziva added, she too turned to glance at the boy.

'Ow' Tony mumbled as he got another punch, wondering if he was going to lose a tooth. 'Yeah, we love you kiddo and we'll get out of this!'

'Do not let them scare you' Ziva added and gritted her teeth as another slap came.

Nathan bit his lip and nodded but Winston smirked and looked down at the boy, lowering his tone so only they could hear.

'They are your family?' Winston asked. 'Is that why they will save you? Ah Nathan, tsk tsk tsk' he stook his head. 'Ziva killed your uncle Ari I believe...still think family matters most to her? And if you're waiting for Tony or Gibbs to save you...well they couldn't save Kate' he told him.

Nathan frowned but then paled slightly, only struggling momentarily. He refused to believe that his mother had killed his uncle, but then again she never told him who had. 'Who...' he didn't want to fall into a trap or seem on his side but he had to know. 'Who is Kate?'

'They never told you? I didn't expect they would want you to know the truth. You are a child and they only tell you the good things, tricking you into believing the world is a wonderful place' Winston said. 'Your mother worked at NCIS because there was room...because a previous female agent that used to protect the President of the United States, had been killed. Kate...NCIS Special Agent Caitlin Todd was her name. She was on the roof of a building with Gibbs and Tony when she was killed...they couldn't save her then just like they can't save you now'.

Nathan stopped struggling altogether now and was stunned to the new information he had received...not just because of how shocking it seemed and how horrible it made him feel but also because he somehow had an even worst feeling that Winston wasn't lying.

* * *

'Got a hit on the BOLO of Tony's car!' McGee suddenly announced, bringing Gibbs from his thoughts and attempts to locate his missing agents and their child. 'I tracked his GPS signal to an abandoned building outside of Fairfax' McGee added and hande the address over to his boss and then grabbed his things while Gibbs called for immidiate backup.

The pair then grabbed their things at warp speed and ran out of the squad room, praying they weren't going to be too late for either of their teammates or for the child that was now family to them all.

--

'Urgh' Eva grunted as she pulled back slightly from watching the scene going on through her sniper rifle but Spike remained fixated through his, watching as Ziva and Tony copped more blows. 'I hate that we can't help them' Eva confessed.

'Say that again' Spencer asked in surprise. 'And why? We're good shots'.

'We're not on either side' Eva growled. 'I hate Ziva. I hate that bastard Winston that hired us, using a child to get to...oh' she frowned as that's what she had done as well. 'But I am not going to torture the boy, not break is damn arm although I have wanted to a dozen times'.

'Eva, calm down' Spencer advised. 'If you ever consider taking a shot at anyone or even the wall...you need to be focused'.

'What are you? My Commanding Officer?' Eva snarled at him but leaned back to look through her scope. 'You know I hate watching these kind of things and not do something'.

'I know' Spencer sighed but moved his hand so it was placed over hers for a brief moment. 'But it'll be over soon...either way'.

--

'Enough games' Winston spoke up loudly and shoved Nathan towards another man. 'I have a call to make...if they do not talk, shoot them in a joint for every unaswered question. If you run out of joints...go for the skull' he turned and left.

'NO!!' Nathan screamed and fell to his knees, but his new captor let him crouch there while still not releasing his grip on him.

But the moment Winston had left and Nathan had a moment to feel hatred towards the bad guys...he lost it.

'Let me go!!' Nathan screamed and stomped so hard on the man's foot that he released his grip on the boy's arms.

'Stupid kid!' the man yelled in pain. He hit Nathan hard and shoved him to the ground where he stayed, too stunned and hurt by the blows to get up again.

Ziva snarled as she witnessed that and freed herself from the chair just as Tony stood up and used his chair to knock a man out. She ran towards her son after punching out the man but Ziva paid for her move as she copped a blow to the stomach from another man while Tony tried to free himself from the chair that he was still mostly tied to.

Nathan reopened his eyes as he thought he'd felt his mother's warmth. He got up painfully and saw his mother doubled over nearby and Tony removing the last of the chair from himself but the chair was chained to the ground. For a moment he thought he heard tyres screech in the distance but gulped as the man in front of him was raising something as if to hit him with it.

'No' Ziva whispered as she saw the man responsible for her stomach pain raise an object up to hurt her son and she reacted without a single thought or acknowledgment. Tony finally freed himself from the chair and approached as Ziva started running, ignoring the pain that shot through her body.

The man raised his weapon but as it came down towards Nathan, Ziva took the blow all whilst shoving Nathan into Tony and seconds later gunfire went off. Gibbs, Jenny, McGee and several FBI agents swarmed into the building, taking men into custody but Winston had long vanished.

Eva sat alone on the rooftop of a building out of sight from the arrivals in the abandoned building and Spike gathered his things to leave. But Eva remained as she watched the scene until Spike came back and tried to pull her away.

'Come on, we've gotta get out of here now, Eva!' Spencer said and she nodded, grabbed her things as well and followed after him, feeling confused as she'd shot two of the men dead but inflicted no harm on the other side...perhaps she was on a side after all, but she still hated Ziva. Although, how could she hate someone that had just sacrificed herself for her son just as Eva had tried for her daughter?

'Ziva!' Tony rushed to her side as Gibbs grabbed hold of a sobbing, distraught Nathan. Tony saw Ziva lying on her side, blood leaking from her head and some other unknown place. He reached out to her and tried to hold her but was afraid of causing more damage. He felt his world shattering and all his carefully guarded emotions crumbling as he sniffed and tears fell. He couldn't tell if she was even alive, if she was even breathing...but she was certainly unmoving.

'We need a bus!' Jenny was yelling but it was all just noise to Tony as he pleaded with all his might for Ziva to move...to give some indication that he hadn't lost her. 'Call an ambulance!!'

* * *

**Author's Notes: Another cliffhanger, I know! Sorry. But the more reviews I get the sooner I update and next chapter will not only deal with all this that has happened but also answer some of your questions and such. Plus there's some Tony/Nathan stuff I'm sure y'all love. Please review.**

**-Mel**


	37. Cold Nights and Warm Mornings

**Author's Notes: **Okay before I go thanking my wonderful reviewers (since there was like 15-ish reviews in two days I felt I just had to update!), I want to make something clear: There is no Tiva fic here without Ziva or Tony living, unless it's the end of the fic and we're far from that. So know I won't kill Ziva or Tony off anytime soon...coma, mortal danger, inability to certain things but death not so much. With that said, thanks to: **mia58** (Eva is thinking as a mother with good reason. And Winston knows a lot of things about Ziva, but can't say how just yet), **nepeace** (Thanks, enjoy the gift!), **evincis** (Thanks!), **beaker's hoover girl** (Thanks), **shiloh'scrimsonskye** (Always love new readers and, thanks!), **ncisislikecupcakes** (Nope, Ziva's hanging in there at the moment), **klynn07** (Thanks and welcome), **Delko'sgirl88** (thanks for your reviews! And just to varify...Ziva wasn NOT shot, merely hit quite hard on the skull..."blunt force trauma" Ducky would call it. Yes Eva is conflicted involving Ziva now as she saw how Ziva would do anything to save her little boy as Eva did for her little girl), **cyn23** (thanks, yeah), **aldean10** (Haha, we all have evil in us!), **shella-belle** (Yup, Eva does have a heart...who thought it was possible? Lol) and **sbteja** (Glad you hear this fic is your fave! :p, and yes there are more questions but the readers are soon gonna get some big ones over the next few chapters but not to fear...they're involved in an interesting turn of events soon. Bad-ish but otherwise still interesting).

And huge thanks to: **Ginnypotterthe7th** (Hah, no Ziva has not been killed off! And she wasn't shot, just attacked. Eva and Spencer are indeed on no side at the moment. Simon is not involved in the kidnapping, he is dead although you do raise a good point...Ziva never sought proof he died merely believed her contact. Thanks!), **Areethashinozzo** (Yes, Winston hired the group including Eva and Spencer to conduct the kidnapping. They hate him, but Eva is not starting to like Ziva at all, merely respect her. She did not want to shoot Winston, she prefers other methods, she also did not want to save anyone but well...that is part of her conflict at the moment as she did save someone at least. No bullets were involved here, Ziva stopped the man from smashing the gun into the boy's skull but in turn took damage to save him. Winston isn't Israeli, no...but he is linked and has Arabic background along with Iranian contacts. Winston doesn't want to get back at Ziva...his boss does. Eva took the job to get her revenge, but neither Eli nor Ziva killed her daughter. :) and **Immirose** (Yes. Eva and Spencer know why they were hired, not in detail but enough. Eva had simular interests in which was why she took the job and then requested Spencer to join her. Winston doesn't have a death wish, he merely believes he is invincable, pfth...not likely, if Ziva makes a full recovery he is indeed as good as dead. Yes Nathan knows things Ziva didn't want him to know yet or at all...this will impact the story and the boy a lot soon enough. Number 1 boss will be revealed in due time, and when he is things will suddenly fall into place with the kidnapping plot and finally everyone will understand the small clues I tossed around throughout the fic. Eva is showing her softer side more now, which did influence her decision to help Ziva. Although she doesn't mind harming Ziva she doesn't want her to suffer internally/emotionally...more on that later).

Anyway, hope y'all enjoy as it's a bit longer and more emotional. One of the chapter's I'm more proud of and I'm sure a fair few of you will enjoy...especially since there is something big revealed involving Spencer's connection to Eva. please review and let me know whatcha think!

* * *

**Chapter thirty-seven: Cold nights and warm mornings**

_Nathan watched, unable to move as the man in front of him held up what at first glance seemed to be just an object but sort of looked like a gun. He couldn't make himself run or even yell as fear took its hold on him. All his years during his kidnap he had been brave, he had always been able to run if he had the chance but now he could not. He didn't know why but he just sat there as the man lowered his weapon to strike him._

_But then it happened. His mother's hands grabbed him and while he felt stronger hands catch him, hands he knew were his father's...he could not tear his eyes from the sight of the object coming down hard against the side of his mother's head and then her shoulder. Her shirt was light, it tore slightly and he saw blood. The horrible red liquid fell faster than she did to the ground and Nathan felt as though his oxygen had been cut short._

_'Stay strong' he heard a voice speak to him and realized it wasn't Tony that had him anymore but Agent Gibbs. His father rushed to Ziva's side while FBI and NCIS alike poured into the building but Nathan was at loss to it all, his pain and the sight before him broke his emotions and stability so hard he sobbed without caring who saw or what would happen to him...Nathan just cried as he truly believed he had lost his mother._

_'Ziva!' he had heard Tony yell as he tried to hold her and although Nathan could not see through the blurr of his tears, he too tried to run to his mother. Gibbs held him firmly, telling him to stay and that help was on its way. Nathan didn't feel any hope, as his mother lay still and there was blood involved._

_'We need a bus!' Jenny was yelling but Nathan felt it was just a sound, just something around him he felt held no importance as he sobbed and covered his eyes with his hands. 'Call and ambulance!!' Jenny yelled again but the noise was blocked out as Gibbs' strong but comforting arms wrapped around Nathan and he rocked softly so the boy could just cry..._

--

But it was too much for Nathan to truly relive a second time as he jerked awake only to find himself curled up on Tony's lap and they appeared to be in the back of a car. While it was dark out, Nathan still recognised some familiar places and knew they were heading to NCIS.

Nathan just lay where he was and didn't move, still feeling very numb as to what had happened an hour ago. He then tuned into what Tony was saying and knew it hadn't been just a nightmare. Tony was arguing to Gibbs who was driving but not at his usual speed for the sake of the child, and McGee was in the seat beside him remaining quiet and distant, deciding to stay out of the argument at hand. Tony complained about not being allowed to go with Ziva, but GIbbs just announced that they can soon and how Jenny was with her.

'Well that's not good enough!' Tony replied, clearly furious but heard a soft sniffle and noticed that Nathan was awake. 'Hey, how are you holding up?' he asked, his tone going softer in an instant as his full attention fell to the boy that was now sitting up beside him, clutching to him for comfort.

'Daddy!' Nathan said and hugged Tony, feeling his arms wrap around him as he too held the boy close and it provided them both with momentary reassurance. 'I want my mama' he pleaded and Tony's heart broke further at that as the boy was so upset but the one thing he wanted most Tony was unable to give him and was also at a loss for words. 'Daddy please...I want mama!'

--

They soon arrived at NCIS and Tony picked the boy up, not letting him go for even a second. Ducky fixed them up but Tony only had a few cuts that he didn't care even the slightest about and Nathan seemed to have zoned out again while still clutching a part of Tony's shirt with all his might.

Gibbs stood nearby and spoke to Jenny as she reported in on Ziva's condition. The moment he hung up he found two pairs of pained eyes staring at him and he could not deny them the information they feared but wanted to know.

'Ziva is resting. She is still out cold but nothing life-threatening' GIbbs repeated exactly what Jenny said, leaving out the "_or so it would seem for now_" part.

'Ah!' Nathan gasped as the piece of Tony's shirt he'd been gripping was taken from his grasp and Tony walked away, approaching GIbbs as he was clearly not satisfied with the information he'd been given. Ducky placed a hand on Nathan's shoulder but the boy was starting to hyperventlate slightly to the suddenn absence of his father's comfort when he needed it most.

'Hey' Gibbs hissed angrily and grabbed Tony, making sure his voice didn't travel to Nathan as he growled at his agent. 'Whether you have chosen it or not...you are the father of a young child!' he scowled and Tony seemed to have snapped into his senses and turned to stare at the poor boy sitting atop the autopsy table who was now pale and starting to panic.

Tony mentally kicked himself and damned himself to further hell as his emotions for Ziva had covered over the fact he still had Nathan...no...his son, to take care of. It took everything he had to put on a bright face and pick Nathan up, allowed the boy to cling to him again.

'I'm sorry' he whispered and held Nathan close, now fearing of losing the boy or of causing him more mental harm. He was never a romantic one and he was never one to hug or kiss anyone apart from a lover, but Tony just lost himself to the fact that the boy in his arms was his son, that the boy was hurting like he was hurting, but Nathan was a child...he didn't know how to cope with sudden horrible things and for that he needed a parent. For that he needed...Tony.

'It's okay' Tony said and kissed the boy's forehead softly, not even caring if he was being watched or if it felt weird, being something he had never done before but this was his first time as a father...he had never kissed a child before but only because he'd never previously had a child he loved that much.

Nathan felt the kiss to his forehead though and he let go of Tony's shirt to wrap his arms around his neck and buried his face in his father's shirt, feeling a bit better and as though maybe things will be okay.

Tony felt the movement and the boy relaxed so he took a calming breath and turned to his boss. 'I understand' he said and sighed. 'We'll go home and visit Ziva in the morning'.

Gibbs nodded, still taking notes while holding his cell phone between his cheek and shoulder, having not witnessed the moment between the now father and son...but Ducky had seen it all and it still shocked him.

'I don't wanna go home' Nathan's voice had broken again but he didn't move from his position or grip. 'I want mama'.

'I know, but she's resting now' Tony said. 'Remember that movie where the superhero had to rest to get his strength back and-'

'This is not a movie!' Nathan said loudly. 'Mama is hurt! She's really hurt, daddy!' he sobbed.

'I know' Tony said again, not sure what he could say so he just got into the elevator as he knew that being a parent meant sometimes you had to take control, sometimes even if the child does not like it...in the end you have to do what it right for that child. Tony wanted to tear into the hospital and see Ziva, but Nathan needed comfort, food, rest...and that had to come first.

'Anthony has really changed, Jethro' Ducky said. 'He's a whole new man...a better man'.

'He's still DiNozzo' Gibbs replied as he hung up his phone, forcing himself to focus on the kidnappers. 'And we need those ID's Duck'.

* * *

The house had never felt so cold or empty as Tony carried Nathan inside. He placed the boy on one hip so he could turn on lights and close curtains to block out the darkness. After that he hit full parent-mode and knew that the only way to remain sane and to stop thinking of the worst for Ziva was to take care of Nathan, to make the boy his most important priority.

'Um, is pizza okay?' Tony asked as he put Nathan down and the boy grabbed a part of his shirt again, nodding slightly. 'Okay, could you get the menu from the bottom drawer, please?' Tony wanted to occupy him as well but Nathan did not let him go. 'Don't worry tough guy, I'm not going anywhere without you'.

Nathan stared up at him and saw the truth in his eyes so nodded and went to get the menu.

'Pick any pizza you want' Tony called out as he headed into the living room but tried not to take notice of how Ziva's scent and evidence was around while she was not. He crouched in front of the TV and pulled open the cupboard doors under it to reveal an increasing range of children's movies that were ordered by title.

'Happy movie...no injuries...' he searched and wasn't sure but wanted something more unrealistic and cartoonic. He knew Harry Potter had lost his parents to a murderer, Wendy in Peter Pan had been held captive and the boys were orphans, Dumbo had been taken from his mother to work in a circus...why were children's movies so depressing?! Tony took another calming breath as Nathan came into the room and sat on the couch behind him to pick a pizza, no doubt trying to remain as close to his father as he could.

'Mary Poppins' Tony sighed in relief as he chose a movie that was more focused on the father, singing songs and with magic. 'It'll do' he told himself and turned to Nathan to see the boy holding up the menu and pointed to a particular pizza. Tony swallowed what felt like liquid lead and nodded, knowing Nathan had chosen Ziva's favourite pizza, but after putting the movie on he went to order it nonetheless.

--

Both did not feel much like eating so only half of the pizza was consumed by halfway through the movie although neither were really paying any attention to the plot, characters or lines. Soon Tony felt it was time to head off to bed as it would be a while before either of them could sleep so they may as well get a head start. He took Nathan up for a bath and made sure not to rush it as Ziva always made sure her son was perfectly clean. Nathan still only mumbled "thanks" occassionally but Tony wasn't up for a conversation either and only said what he had to.

'You can sleep beside me, if you like' Tony told him, making sure he was the one to bring it up as he knew Nathan would feel a little unsure but would end up in the bed anyway. Tony considered it cruel if he were to make Nathan sleep in his own bed this particular night anyway.

--

The pair climbed into bed and Ziva's scent was still there even if the sheets had only been used the night before they left for Israel.

'Is mommy really going to be okay, daddy?' Nathan's voice broke out the silence after several minutes of laying cuddled up in the bed and staring at the dull ceiling above.

'She will' Tony said, but it was more of a prayer than a promise. 'Because no one beats her that easily' he said and ran a hand over Nathan's head in comfort. 'Now go to sleep kiddo, we need our strength for tomorrow'.

'Okay' Nathan said and relaxed against the pillow more while holding Toby bear closer to his chest. 'I love you, daddy'.

'I love you too, sport' Tony said, trying not to let his words get caught as he was barely keeping it together as it was and just wanted Nathan to fall asleep. 'And don't worry about your mom...she'll be fine' he said, once again praying to anything and anyone that he wasn't lying.

--

However, many miles away and residing in a motel room...Spike was furious.

'Why did you shoot one of the men?' Spike asked Eve as she just sat on their bed rolling her eyes at him but then lowered her gaze to stare at the floor. 'Why didn't you kill Ziva like you wanted to?' he couldn't understand the logic in her choices and she wasn't telling him but then a thought occured to him and he calmed down. 'Why did I tip off NCIS?'

'I miss our baby girl' Eva told him but looked up and regained herself for a moment. 'Is there any news on Ziva yet?'

'I don't know' he said and looked around in frustration but then set his eyes on her. 'But stop dwelling on Marcia' Spencer added. 'She was three and it was over six years ago'.

But his words made Eva mad and she jumped to her feet, glaring at him in an almost hurt but mostly angry expression.

'Do you even care about your own daughter?' she asked.

'You know I do!' Spencer yelled back angrily. 'But now is not the time! In case you haven't noticed, we're on the run...our cover may have been blown...and on top of that we have four more missions to carry out'.

Eva seemed shocked for a moment but calmed herself and nodded. 'You're right' she agreed and sat back down, going silent for a moment. 'You are right' she said again and reached under the bed to pull out her sniper rifle and stared up at him. 'Who is the next on our hit list?'

'Adam Patchly' Spencer breathed as calmly as he could and watched her reload the weapon. 'Are you okay?' he then asked and she nodded but didn't look back up. 'Yeah, me neither' he sighed and sat beside her to check his own weapon.

* * *

Tony must have slept for six hours at the very most but Ziva wasn't snoring beside him and as much as it used to annoy him sometimes, he now found he was unable to sleep well without her there. Although Nathan kicking slightly in his sleep helped Tony because Ziva used to kick firmly in the same way but still with no actual loss of limb on his behalf.

The next morning seemed to have taken forever to arrive and Tony was awake a good two hours before the sunlight finally came through the crack in the curtains above the bed. Tony wanted to jump out of bed, not care about breakfast or even dressing appropriatly and just speed down to the hospital. But that couldn't happen. Beside him was an eight-year-old little boy that could break emotionally at any given moment when he thought of his mother laying in a hospital bad. He wouldn't want to eat or dress either but Tony was the parent and knew a child needed energy and to form good habits (all of Ziva's lectures had previously been brushed aside but he was hearing them now as they were all he had to go by). Nathan needed breakfast and to go about his usual morning routine because if today felt different and more urgent it would just stress him out futher.

Another half hour was all Tony could wait to let Nathan rest before he could not take it anymore and got out of bed. The boy who could not be accidentally woken was suddenly alert the moment Tony left the bed.

'Are we going to see mama now?' Nathan literally leapt from the bed as Tony buttoned up his fresh shirt and turned to face him.

'Soon. First we need to have breakfast and get dressed' Tony said.

'I'm not hungry' Nathan replied stubbornly. 'Please, can we just go see mama?'

Tony wanted to give in, he felt it would be okay if he did...since the child just wanted to see his mother and who was he to deny that when she was in a bad postion right now, sleeping in a hospital under constant watch? But it was as though becoming a father had awoken a part of his brain Tony never knew had even existed...a responsible part, a section of logic and resoning that he hadn't learnt from working crime scenes or interrogating suspects as he pieced together a puzzle. It came from simply accepting himself as Nathan's father and willing himself to truly believe the boy standing in front of him was his son. That part of his brain overrid the rest.

'Breakfast first, then we go see your mom' Tony said sighed at the pleading look he was getting but even though he could barely remain strong for himself...he somehow found it in him to remain strong for Nathan.

--

It was a bit past 7:30am when Tony and Nathan walked quickly but nervously into the hospital and approached the front desk, knowing that Jenny had gone home the night before and that Ziva wasn't in any immidiate danger.

'We're here to see Ziva David' Tony told the lady at the desk without any interest in her as he would have had a year or two ago.

'It is too early, not visiting hours' the woman there said without even looking up. 'Come back later'.

'Why won't they let us see her, daddy?' Nathan asked as Tony picked him up as he started getting upset. 'Daddy?'

The woman glanced up as Tony slammed his NCIS badge against the counter and then turned to look at the child in his arms, now huggng him tearfully.

'Daddy, I wanna see mama!' Nathan sniffed.

'Ten minutes' the woman said and while Tony didn't know if it was his badge or the upset child that kept calling him "daddy' that allowed them access...he really didn't care. 'Third room down the hall on the right' she added and Tony almost took off at a run after putting Nathan back down and grabbing his hand, but he also wanted to slow down as he was dreading this part as much as he was anxious for it.

'She's sleeping?' Nathan checked as they stared through the glass to look at Ziva hooked up to a few machines and with tubes around her.

'Yeah...' Tony gulped. 'She's just...recovering'.

But the pair then fell silent as they stared at Ziva's pale face and still form, the way she didn't smile at the sight of them or scowl at Tony for something. He wanted her to punch him, hit him...yell at him like the crazy ninja chick she was, just to convince him that she was okay. But she wasn't okay...how could she be? Ziva was lying in a hospital bed! As much as he had wanted to see her, Tony now wished he'd never come...he wanted to get the image of her just laying there out of his head.

Nathan sniffled a little as he held Toby bear close and Tony picked him up to comfort him, but still they did not say anything and just stared at the woman they both held so dearly in their hearts.

* * *

While Ziva slept on all through that day, it wasn't actually too long until she became aware of her surroundings and awoke, opening her eyes as though she hadn't used them in months. She was confused but knew she was in a hospital. Ziva noticed several pictures stuck on the wall and a few vases of flowers (one being very black and filled with roses...Abby's work, she was sure) on her bedside table along with cards, a few hand-made by the child she now missed dearly.

'Oh, it is nice to see you're awake' a nurse smiled at her as she came into the room.

'How long have I been...' Ziva tried to think of the right word but Tony wasn't there to correct her, although the nurse seemed to know what she was asking.

'Three days' she replied. 'Do you remember what happened?'

'Yes' Ziva snarled, flashing back to how that bastard had wanted to hurt her son even more. She calmed but was then put through a few memory tests since she had been hit on the head and the nurse seemed to think she could have brain damage...honestly, she'd been hit harder. Ziva rolled her eyes but answered the questions while using the time to take note of more details. It was late afternoon it seemed and she had the room to herself...had Tony come to see her? How was Nathan? Surely the poor boy would be upset. Ziva was hungry and rather sore but ignored it as she sat more upright and stared hard at the nurse.

'I want to see my son' Ziva demanded firmly.

'He was by early this morning with his father' the nurse replied. 'It is past visiting hours now, wait for tomorrow' she added and Ziva took a calming breath before speaking threatenly.

'I may be in hell, but I can still kill you eighteen different ways with a paperclip!' Ziva said. 'If I do not get my son right now...you are going to be glad you are in a hospital' she growled and the nurse backed out of the room to call Tony.

--

But the clock on the wall outside her room told Ziva that more than an hour had passed and still she lay alone until the door opened and even though she was dissapointed, she still felt relieved for the company.

'Gibbs' Ziva said simply but smiled slightly in greeting.

'Ziva' Gibbs replied and smirked while pretending to be confused. 'Did you really manage to scare all the staff within a 3-floor-radius, several patients...the security personnel have been called in twice but are too scared to come in for a third and you have even broken a machine?' Gibbs laughed softly. 'You must be feeling better?'

Ziva raised an eyebrow and looked innocent as Gibbs took a seat beside her with coffee in his hand.

'Where is Tony?' Ziva asked, calming down a lot though now that Gibbs was with her.

'He has taken Nathan to see a doctor but should be here soon' Gibbs told her and noticed that she started to panic, which was certainly not an emotion he thought her possible of expressing. 'Toothache' he added simply and she relaxed but was now mad at him for not mentioning that fact first.

--

They held casual conversations about NCIS and the kidnappers before Ziva stopped mid-sentence as she heard the sounds of small feet running.

'Mommy!' Nathan squealed in delight as he ran into the room and jumped on the bed but then froze. 'Did I hurt you?' he panicked, sadness showing in his features.

'No' Ziva lied, not even caring about any pain for a split second as she opened her arms for her son, hugging him for dear life.

'You're okay!' Nathan said happily. 'Daddy, mama's okay!' he turned as Tony came into the room carrying several things and more pictures while trying not to drop it all but at the same time hoping to assure himself that Ziva was indeed awake and fine.

'Yeah, Gibbs' the boss accepted a phone call and left the room to give them privacy, just as Tony dumped things on the once-occupied chair.

'Are you okay?' Ziva asked her son, running her hands through his hair lovingly, so happy to see him unharmed. She didn't look at Tony but all he could do was stare at her in relief.

'It was hard at first' Nathan confessed. 'But daddy looked after me and I don't care what you say, he's "daddy" to me!' he said and crossed his arms stubbornly but could not contain his excitement and stories. As Nathan told him about all the adventures he and Tony had gone through in a mere three days, Ziva pulled her eyes from her son for a moment to stare at the man she loved. Seeing the look on his face as he was so relieved she as okay truly made her feel as though there was no pain and no one was out there to pull them apart.

'And I'm going to look after you so you can come home' Nathan announced. 'I...we...got lots of movies for you and daddy said chocolate makes girls happy so we got some and new pillows since the old ones aren't fluffy enough...um, we got it all ready so...you can come home right?' he asked.

'Soon' Ziva nodded and Tony finally approached, neither adult noticing that Nathan was still talking.

'I missed you' Tony whispered as he leaned towards her, placing a hand on her cheek to make sure it was warm and that she was really there. 'Don't do that again'.

'Protecting my son or ending up in a hospital?' Ziva wondered.

'Leaving me' Tony corrected and leaned close so he could kiss her, rejoycing in the reunion as well as the wave of warmth and life he felt from her.

'Gross!' Nathan complained as he was sitting right near them. 'Do you have to do that now?' he frowned.

'Don't look' Tony laughed and covered the boy's eyes with his hands as he leaned to kiss Ziva again and she placed her hands on his cheeks, wanting him as much as he wanted her.

Gibbs watched from the doorway and knew they'd long forgotten he even existed but that didn't matter. What he saw in front of him was a family who loved each other more than even their own words or expressions could reveal. He knew from that moment that it had happened, that now...they truly were a family.

* * *

**Author's Notes: A happier moment for some but how long will it last? For more family moments, keep an eye on next chapter but if you're a fan of Spencer and/or Eva then you're sure to like chapter 39. ****Oh and just to varify: Marcia Jose died 6 years ago at the age of 3. Spencer was her father and Eva her mother. Shocked? Feeling something else? I'd like to know. Review and I'll also update faster like I did with this chapter!**

**-Mel**


	38. Only a Matter of Time

**Author's Notes:** Thanks to** mia58** (They did generally take Nathan with them when they carried out their jobs, mostly to "train" him or show him what they're doing. But for many other small reasons too. Gibbs believed Ziva didn't need the extra protection at the hospital as she wasn't the intended target, Nathan had been. Although some protection should have been issued to protect the hospital from Ziva lol. Thanks), **just another tomboy**, **ncisislikecupcakes** (that was one of my intents :P), **klynn07** (I haven't seen bambi for the reason of it being depressing heh. Tony has made a definant change now, for the better indeed...although I wonder if he notices yet? :P), **dustygreyashes** (Wow, thanks! Will answer the spencer question at the end of my notes as others have asked something simular as well), **shiloh'scrimsonskye** (Thanks for your comments and compliments), **cyn23**, **evincis**, **delko'sgirl88** (Nathan has been through a lot for someone of his age, but hopefully the things he witnesses or is directly involved in will decrease over time...although that time isn't yet unfortunantly for him and his family. Will answer the spencer thing in minute), **sbteja** (Ziva wasn't around and Nathan needed a parent, it was like a switch flipped. He has those parental feelings now too, for the first real time it's truly in his role as father, even if he still has a lot to learn and understand. The name Nathan came from nowhere basically, but I did sit and consider names until for some reason "Nathan David" seemed to fit, I also didn't know where my fic was going to go back then so I also checked that "Nathan DiNozzo" fit as well :P. His middle name will be revealed later as it's important in some way later on. But he is "Nathan A David"), **shella-belle** (Thanks. And yes, Spencer was the father of Eva's little girl in every aspect of the word) and **ziny-dinozzo** (Interesting idea, but sad to say they are so good at concealing their presence that it is unlikely to happen...although their kissing, perhaps sometime in the future).

And a huge thanks to: **immirose** (Nathan was "raised" tough by Spencer plus he has Ziva genes. Wow? Really, I guess I was hoping the emotional effect of last chapter was good but didn't know if it was that good, :P. And yeah, you were spot on with Tony's thoughts. Tony has more parental feelings now, they're astablishing so more tender tony moments will be coming! I liked that line too, I also wanted to show he knows how serious the situation is. I do believe it is the first time the boys have said they loved each other. True, Eva and Spencer are going through the same thing...almost, but it is why they're so close. Haha. I would love to chat on msn, I don't come online very much but if you wanna talk let me know what day etc. Thanks!!), **areethashinzzo** (How is that funny? lol. Adam Patchly is another victim of the hit list Eva and Spencer have been given by their higher boss. They have been carrying them out for years but this is one of the few I've actually named, but it's not very imoprtant. Break up the family? Well I won't kill Tony and Ziva, if that's what you're hoping to hear :P),** ginnypotterthe7th** (Haha. Yes the closeness would be the right word and yes I hoped it would explain that. Thanks. Hah, yeah thanks), **debook210** (Eva and Spencer's backstroy etc isn't an ordinary one but an interesting one that I will reveal much later, in detail. But they haven't seen each other for several months before they took the job, just so you know. Haha, slowly but still great. Thanks).

**And to answer comments about Spencer: **He is as emotionally involved with losing his daughter as Eva is, but the one thing I haven't detailed is the fact that despite it being so long ago...he has never dealt with it. He focused on other things, comforted Eva and learnt to move on...but he has never truly grieved and hasn't even brought her up since her death. Ever. It is always Eva to bring the topic up and his responses are limited...because he loved Marcia that much. He's not heartless; Marcia was the best thing to him and he lost her in such a short time. Hope that explains his dismissiveness of the topic more! Okay enough from me...one with the chapter!**

* * *

****Chapter thirty-eight: Only a matter of time**

'I am quite capable of walking to the front door on my own, Tony' Ziva frowned in annoyance as she got out of the car and Tony tried to escort her inside their house while Nathan eagerly got Ziva's bags from the backseat.

'That is yet to be seen' Tony replied although he knew he was probably overdoing it a little, but she was out of hospital a few days earlier than planned and he suspected it wasn't because she was perfectly fine but because the doctors were ridden with fear of her staying any longer.

'I was not shot in the leg' Ziva scowled and Tony sighed, raising his hands in defeat and let her pass him through the front door. 'Thank you' she breathed in relief, ignoring the mild but increasing pain in her shoulder and the headache that was starting to throb.

'I got lots of different movies, mama' Nathan said, giving her something to focus on as Tony put her things away in their room and then proceeded to boil some water. 'And these are the new pillows, see?' the boy held up four pillows that were sitting in a rather arranged style on the couch.

'Thank you' Ziva nodded and took the excuse of testing the pillows softness so she could sit down and relax her muscles without making it too obvious to the throbbing she was still enduring.

But they would not leave her in peace. Tony brought her some tea and retrieved some blankets from a cupboard upstairs to help her get comfortable while Nathan took it upon himself to pick a movie out for her. But after a few minutes he paused to watch Tony helping Ziva (despite her complaints) and wondered if he was actually helping.

Ziva saw his look and nudged Tony, making him glance at where she was staring.

'Um...Nathan' Tony put on an enthusiastic expression. 'Your mom really needs that book from her bedroom, can't sit here for hours without it...' he glanced at Ziva, which she caught on to his plan quickly.

'Oh yes' Ziva nodded. 'I must take the chance to finally finish it if I am going to be forced to stay on this couch for a very long time. It would make me very happy'.

'I'll go get it' Tony said but didn't move.

'No daddy!' Nathan jumped in hopefully. 'I can get it!'

'That would be a huge help' Tony grinned and the boy rushed from the room to get the book, feeling very useful again. He looked down at Ziva an studied her slightly strained expression for a moment before seating himself beside her on the couch. 'Tell me the truth, are you feeling okay?'

'Headache' Ziva mumbled and rubbed her temples slightly but then reached out and grabbed his shirt, pulling him towards her for a kiss.

'Well if that's what you wanted, all you had to do was ask' Tony teased as he pulled back to breathe but then moved in again, sliding one hand up her back and rested it on the back of her neck, carefully pulling her even closer as she placed one hand on his right cheek.

'I have noticed...' Ziva said slowly as they parted again and just sat there, fingers entwined together as they knew Nathan would be back soon. '...how great you are with Nathan now'.

'Was I ever bad?' Tony wondered aloud, mostly mocking her words but then sighed at the look she gave him. 'I guess I just did what I had to, since you weren't around...someone had to step in'.

'I can't find it daddy!' Nathan called down from upstairs but then there was a _"thud". _'Never mind, found it!' he announced.

'When did he start calling you "daddy" permenantly?' Ziva wondered.

Tony shrugged casually but then took a second to think and turned to look at her. 'I am his father now...if that's okay with you, Zee-Vah?'

'Got it' Nathan held up the book as he ran back into the living room. 'And daddy, I found that shirt you were looking for' he turned to Tony.

'The blue one?' Tony asked holding up the dark shirt Nathan passed to him.

'Yup' Nathan nodded proudly. 'It was under the bed...why was it under the bed?'

'Ah...' Tony glanced at Ziva as it had to have been from the night they shared a very intimate moment. 'Good question, kiddo' Tony ruffled Nathan's hair and Ziva just smiled while watching their interaction more closely.

'What?' Tony noticed her soft smile and Nathan went back to picking a movie for his mother.

'Your question...' Ziva said. 'I would not have it any other way' she said but then winced slightly as she shifted on the couch.

'It hurts' Tony noticed and frowned. 'They shouldn't have let you leave the hospital'.

'Then they should not have let me mark out' Ziva shrugged, knowing they were scared of her but she was glad as she wanted nothing more than to return home where she would be back with her boys.

'It's _"sign out"_ and no they shouldn't have' Tony frowned but let it go, as he too was relieved to have her back. 'I'm going to go wash up and get you some asprin'.

Nathan watched as Tony busied himself with cleaning and after he'd left the room, he got up and sat beside his mother but did not look at her.

'Something is bothering you' Ziva observed as her son stared at his hands.

'Mama...' Nathan swallowed a little nervously but then looked at her with pleading eyes. 'What really happened with Uncle Ari?'

'You want the truth?' Ziva asked, unsure if she wanted him to know at his tender age but he had been through a lot that that often matures children beyond their years. If he really wanted to know, she had to tell him as he would know one day that she'd lied.

'Yes' Nathan nodded. 'The truth'.

'Your Uncle was always the man you remember, Nathan' Ziva sighed. 'But a few years after your...well, when you were taken, he joined an undercover opperation to track down a Hamas Terrorist Cell' she told him and Nathan hung to her every word as she tried to put it as lightly but truthfully as possible. 'A few years ago, he started running the Hamas Cell and used it to...do very bad things to innocent people' she bowed her head slightly but continued in a calm tone. 'He became fixated with Agent Gibbs for an unknown reason and wanted to hurt him...so he, shot Special Agent Kate Todd' Ziva sighed and Tony came back into the room, having overheard her but continued about his tasks, acting as though he was deaf to the conversation. 'Ari wanted to kill Agent Gibbs but I would not let him' Ziva finished and let Nathan figure out the rest.

'So you...stopped him?' Nathan frowned slightly. 'You...killed him?' his eyes widened and then his expression turned to a frown. 'Why couldn't you just throw him in jail? You didn't have to...to kill him!' he stood up and Tony paused in case he had to jump in.

'He left me no choice' Ziva replied calmly, having predicted her son's small outburst. 'Sometimes there is not enough time to stop someone from doing something terrible and sending them to jail is too complicated an option. I had mere seconds to react and he was armed'.

Nathan bowed his head and accepted the answer, but he still did not like it. As his face remained set towards the floor, tears leaked from his eyes and Ziva wasn't sure if she should comfort him as he was probably upset with her at the moment until he had the chance to calm down. But Tony beat her to it and placed his hands on the boy's shoulders.

'Kate was my partner and my friend' Tony said. 'But Ari was still your uncle, I'm sure he cared about you in a way he could not care about Kate, Gibbs or anyone else'.

'Why did he hurt people? Why did he just go bad?' Nathan sniffed and Ziva started to regret giving in to his request for the truth.

'I don't know sport, I don't think anyone knows why people suddenly change like that. But if he hadn't done those things...I would never have met Ziva and she would never have joined NCIS' Tony glanced at Ziva as he spoke. 'Sometimes things just...happen for a reason. Are you okay?'

'Yeah' Nathan wiped his eyes with his sleeve and nodded. 'Thanks' he added to Tony, looking at at him with a smile.

'It's what I do' Tony grinned back.

* * *

While Tony had the day off the previous day to get Ziva settled at home, she was not in any real need of his assistance and he had no choice but to return to NCIS the following day. Nathan went with him as he wasn't in a conversational mood with his mother at the moment, still not agreeing with her method of stopping Ari from killing Gibbs, but also because she insisted he do his schoolwork at her desk now that it was empty; allowing herself a day of rest and peace.

Upon arrival, Nathan greeted everyone but hardly glanced at Gibbs which had the boss confused but Tony quickly explained about the conversation they had the night before involving Ari.

The day progressed as usual but with no case and only old paperwork to deal with. While Ziva remained at home reading and sleeping, Tony was moody to leaving her at home and made constant comments about how bored she was...until Gibbs head-slapped him out of it. But by that time Nathan was getting quite bored himself and with his schoolwok done for the day, he asked Tony to drop him off at the labs so he could visit Abby.

'And how is my young friend today?' Abby smiled at him as he entered her lab.

'Bored, mostly' Nathan shrugged and climbed onto the chair beside her. 'Whatcha doing?' he wondered.

'Nothing exciting' Abby sighed. 'Just finishing a chemical breakdown report from a John Doe's blood for Ducky' she told him as she swung in her chair slightly and discarded an empty Caf-Pow! cup.

'Ah huh' Nathan nodded, having no idea what she just said but wasn't so sure he wanted to know.

'But let's talk about more important things' Abby grinned a little too mischiviously. 'How is Ziva?'

'Grumpy but daddy said she's getting better' Nathan replied.

'So it's official, huh?' Abby continued to ask. 'Tony is your daddy?'

'I think it's official...but I guess it won't be official until they get married, right?' Nathan groaned and rested his chin on his hands. 'How long do you think that will take?'

'I don't know...that is a good question' Abby replied and pondered for a moment. 'A year? Eight months?' she guessed but it just made Nathan groan louder in annoyance.

'Everything okay?' McGee asked as he walked into the lab with an evidence bag and a fresh Caf-Pow!

'Yes' Nathan grumbled while Abby filed the chain of evidence.

'What's this?' Abby wondered.

'Video surveillance...we need to go over it one more time' McGee replied and Abby nodded, signing the required form.

'How long do you think it will take for Tony and Ziva to get married?' Abby asked McGee while loading the images onto her computer and then let it pay out on her plasma screen, showing a busy airport during an early afternoon. 'And what are we looking for exactly?'

'Anything suspicious' McGee replied. 'And how should I know? A year, maybe? If they don't kill each other by then'.

'A year' Nathan mimicked in annoyance, making Abby laugh. 'Can I help?' he then wondered.

'Um...sure' Abby nodded, not sure if he could but didn't see the harm in letting him watch the footage.

'Wicked' Nathan grinned and put on Tony's NCIS cap that he had somehow stolen and pulled a fake but realistic NCIS badge from his pocket that Gibbs had given to him the day Ziva had been injured...it was his reward for being so brave.

Abby shared a smile with McGee as they found the entire scene amusing but then focused their attention on the video footage.

'Okay so John Doe...that's him in the cap' Abby pointed him out. 'He waits for an hour, gets his ticket and then he had several hours until his plane leaves at...seven' she checked and sighed. 'But all he does is walk around...McGee are you sure this guy signaled Jorden?'

'Gibbs is sure...the gut again' McGee sighed.

'Who's Jorden?' Nathan wondered as he stared at the screen.

'Ah...bad guy' Abby replied shortly, but wanting to fill Nathan in on the details.

'John doesn't look too bad' Nathan observed.

'Ah...we don't know his name' Abby corrected. 'John Doe means he's a male with no known name yet. If it was a female it would be Jane Doe'.

'Oh...well man-with-no-name doesn't look like he's helping a bad guy' Nathan shrugged. 'He just walks around, reads newspapers and...why did he put his soda can near the bag area and not the bin?' he frowned in confusion.

'Well...' Abby eyed it closer and saw what they failed to notice before. 'Wow...you've got good eyes' she grinned and zoomed in on the image of the man placing a soda can on the ground near the luggage retrieval and then another man came and collected the can, but walked off screen.

* * *

Gibbs glanced up as the elevator door opened and seconds later Abby came running into the office with McGee and Nathan right behind her. He took a moment to be amused at the NCIS cap on the boys' head but then heard out Abby's report on their findings.

'That's good work, Abs' Gibbs replied as that tied up the last lose end of their case.

'Actually it as Agent David that found it' Abby said and Tony looked up from his paperwork at that, seeing the proud look upon his son's face.

'Well, good work Agent David' Gibbs smirked at Nathan.

'My hat' Tony said as he had been _"breaking in"_ the cap Nathan was wearing for months.

'Sorry' Nathan took it off a little sadly and went to hand it back, thinking it was in trouble for stealing it.

'Nah...keep it' Tony dismissed the hat and went back to work.

'Tony loved that hat' McGee said in surprise.

'But evidentially he loves Nathan more' Abby smiled in reply.

'McGee!' Gibbs said suddenly. 'Track down Jorden's bank records. DiNozzo, call that secretery back...looks like we need those files after all. And Abby, find out who that John Doe is!'

'On it boss!' McGee and Tony said while Abby saluted Gibbs and marched out.

Gibbs was about to sit back down when he noticed Nathan seemed to be hopefully awaiting an order as well. 'Agent David, go with DiNozzo to get those files'.

'Ah boss...' Tony went to say as he didn't like the woman downstairs, she asked too many questions.

'Now DiNozzo!' Gibbs barked.

'On it!' Tony replied and Nathan pondered for a second.

'We'll get the files, boss!' Nathan said and rushed to catch up with Tony while Gibbs just smirked as he noticed the way Nathan watched Tony, trying to learn to act like him.

--

They returned no more than twenty minutes later with the required files and by then McGee had finished his tasks and Gibbs ordered him to go with Tony to double check a statement.

'You need to stay here' Gibbs added to Nathan as he went to go with them.

'But...' Nathan complained until he got a firm look from Gibbs and huffed in defeat as he crossed his arms. 'No fair' he mumble with a very Ziva-like scowl set on his face.

'You need to stay here because...' Gibbs added, trying to lighten the mood before he had a problem on his hands...Nathan did have Ziva's genes after all and he was as moody as Tony today. '...I need you to do something for me here' Gibbs told him and Nathan turned around in interest. 'Agent David' Gibbs added and the boy grinned. 'Can you sort these files into alphabetical order for me?' he asked, gesturing to the rather large pile of reports on his desk. 'These are important files that need to be sent to the Director in an hour'.

Nathan nodded and thought aloud for a moment. 'Daddy taught me about alpabetical when we sorted my movies into a cupboard' he smiled. 'Okay...um, on it boss!' he saluted Gibbs and then sat at his desk or order the files from A to Z from their names on the front.

'I'll be back soon, keep up the good work!' Gibbs called out as he headed up to MTAC.

'It's not hard' Nathan said but felt proud to be doing the task he was given from the boss himself and the way they refered to him as "Agent David". He finished his job in less than half an hour and proceeded to settle back in Gibbs' chair to just think about his new development on the team. He heard Abby joking once about how he seemed like he worked there and now he was helping out a little...it made him feel very useful and as though he was doing something important. But that's what being an NCIS Agent meant, right? Helping people and doing important things...

--

'And how is the boy taking it?' Jenny asked as she and Gibbs left MTAC and headed back down the stairs to the squad room.

'About Ari? Better than most kids would' Gibbs shrugged lightly.

'He's been through a lot, Jethro' Jenny sighed and glanced over at where Nathan was sitting in Gibbs' desk listening to Ziva's Ipod. They reached the office and headed to where Nathan was sitting. He noticed the pair approaching and put his Ipod away, quickly jumping to his feet as he's seen Tony do when Gibbs came into the office and he was meant to be doing something.

'Boss, I put the files in the order you wanted!' Nathan said proudly and pointed to the tall pile beside him.

"Boss?" Jenny asked humourously and stared at Gibbs but he was giving his attention to Nathan.

'Good job, Nathan' Gibbs ruffled his hair.

'Who are you?' Nathan then looked at Jenny, noticing her for the first time but he remembered that she'd been the one to call an ambulance for his mother when she was hurt. 'You helped my mama'.

'This is NCIS Director Jenny Sheppard' Gibbs introduced and Nathan's eyes widened.

'You're the Director?' Nathan gasped but then felt very shy with having a lady boss. 'You're nice' he added polietly and held out his hand.

'I am, it is very nice to finally meet you properly Nathan' Jenny shook his hand and smiled at the boy as he looked a lot like his mother. 'Have you been keeping an eye on Agent Gibbs for me?' she joked, although Gibbs didn't find it as amusing as Nathan did.

'Yes ma'am' Natha nodded.

'You can just call me Jenny' she added and decided she liked the boy, he wasn't as wild and temperous as she had expected from a boy that had been through as much as he had and with Ziva's genes. She had only witnessed Ziva around a child once or twice during the time she'd known her and Jenny never thought she'd make a bad mother at all; the boy was certainly well-raised or at least well-taught.

'Agent Gibbs?' Nathan asked and glanced at the ground for a moment.

'Yeah?' Gibbs asked, taking his eyes off Jenny to look at the boy curiously.

'I've been thinking and...' Nathan looked up again. 'I want to be a real NCIS Agent when I grow up' he announced and his declaration amused the pair.

'I am sure you'll make a great NCIS Agent one day' Gibbs encouraged. 'We need someone like you'.

'I know' Nathan said with a smirk alike the one Tony wore at times of glory. 'I'll be a great NCIS Agent!'

* * *

**Author's Notes: Okay so there's that chapter and I know some of you are gonna really like next chapter, or at least I hope so! There's more of Eva and Spencer...also involving a confrontation of some sort hehe. Anyways won't say too much. Please review...it motivates faster updates!**

**-Mel**


	39. Did I Miss Something?

**Author's Notes:** Hey, been busy and visiting. Here's the next chapter although it may shock and confuse some of you :P. Thanks: **evincis,** **mia58,** **nepeace, shiloh'scrimsonskye, cyn23, ncisislikecupcakes, sbteja, delko'sgirl88, sophie validus** (The Jibbs is more progressive later on, right now is tiva and slight mcabby/tibby but I promise Jibbs will be later one, only few bits here and there for now though)**, **and **majlis. **Thank-you all so much for the reviews!

And huge thanks to: **ginnypotterthe7th** (Haha, thanks. All your comments were great and I'm glad you understand, And yeah...his career choice was too perfect :P), **immirose** (I forget our time difference, where are you again? I'm in Australia. Yes Tony knows it is the ultimate trust. Nathan took the news well because that is how he would, he is more mature for his age and has come across so many things he shouldn't have which have him more understanding and aware of certain things. Although the loss of his uncle was something he coped with a long time ago, whereas he is still not too happy about what Ziva did. Glad I write Abby so well :P. Thanks for your comments!), and **debook210** (Thanks! Glad you loved it all!).

Now on with one of my more favourite chapters...please let me know whatcha think!! All underlined is in Hebrew, do I honestly need to keep reminding anyone?**

* * *

****Chapter thirty-Nine: Did I miss something?**

'Is that so?' Tony laughed as he and Nathan arrived home later that day and the boy told him all about his plans to become an NCIS Agent one day.

'Yeah...do you think I'll make a good Agent?' Nathan then wondered, doubt filling him.

'Sure!' Tony agreed, actually believing he could be with proper training. 'You mom's Mossad' he added. 'She could give you some tips too' he opened the door and stepped inside. It was almost 3:30pm in the afternoon as they only had paperwork and Tony was driving Gibbs insane with his moodiness and how both he and Nathan just wanted to go home to Ziva. But as they walked inside something wasn't right...and Ziva wasn't home.

'Daddy, look!' Nathan picked up a note and held it up to him, seeing it read:

_Gone out. Will be back about 7:00pm. Do not worry. Ziva_.

Tony read it and nodded but he couldn't help noticing that while the handwriting was clearly hers, the living room was in a bit of a mess as though there had been a struggle of some sort.

'Is she really okay?' Nathan wondered worridly as he too saw the living room wasn't in a very good state with an overturned chair, his mother's book laying a few feet from the couch and her blankets had been thrown over one side of the couch and the rest of it was on the floor.

'Hang on' Tony said and pulled out his cell phone to call her.

'Ziva David' she replied barely on second ring. 'I am fine, Tony' she added before he opened his mouth to ask.

'Where are you?' Tony wondered, feeling rather confused. 'Aren't you meant to be resting?'

'I have been resting for weeks in hospital' Ziva scowled. 'I am just catching up with a few people...you did not honestly expect me to sit glued in the house all day?'

'The term is _"stuck"_ and no, but I didn't expect you to dissappear without calling me first' Tony said and gestured Nathan to start cleaning up some of the mess.

'I do not think you would agree' Ziva said simply. 'I will be home in a few hours, shalom' she then hung up and he stared at the phone in his hands for a moment, calming down as he accepted that she was indeed fine. 'Um well...your mom's fine Nathan. How about we get this cleaned up and watch a movie?'

'Can I pick one?' Nathan asked, feeling that if his father wasn't worried then his mother really was okay.

'Sure kiddo' Tony nodded, frowning only slightly but proceeded to entertain the boy whilst still very confused by Ziva's actions.

--

'Do they suspect?' Spencer asked casually as he sat across from Ziva at a cafe.

'No, but they worry too much' Ziva sighed and stared at her food, deciding she no longer wanted it. 'Can we go over the plans again, I do not want to be here longer than I need to'.

'That makes two of us' Spencer sighed and stared at some of the maps in front of him while tossing his apple core into a bin nearby.

'You like a lot of fruit' Ziva frowned as all she'd seen him eat was fruit.

'No I don't' Spencer replied. 'Spike does...it's all part of this stupid alias miss-annoying came up with'.

'You wouldn't be talking about me now, would you?' Eva asked as she left the cafe and sat between the pair, placing her bandaged wrist on the table carefully.

'Of course not' Spencer lied. 'I want to live' he joked.

Ziva frowned at Eva for a moment but then sighed to calm herself and turned the conversation back to the important discussions. 'Are you sure your intel is correct?'

'You doubt us?' Eva asked, casting her a frown as well while biting into her piece of cake.

Ziva gave her a _"Duh"_ sort of look before answering. 'You kidnapped my son, held him hostage for fives years and tried to kill us...you're asking me if I doubt you?'

'She has a point there' Spencer replied casually but went quiet as Eva cast him a glare.

'We also helped you once or twice' Eva reminded Ziva.

'And why is that?' Ziva asked, narrowing her eyes slightly.

Eva glared at Ziva but dismissed the question. 'Do not get used to it, I didn't do it for you' she rolled her eyes and went back to eating.

'Okay ladies...um, we're on the run here and Ziva could get in a lot of trouble for being seen with us' Spencer said, trying to calm things down between them again. 'Can we get this over with?'

'I agree' Ziva nodded. 'Then we can go back to playing dog and cat'.

'I thought it was cat and rat' Eva frowned.

'It's cat and mouse' Spencer sighed. 'Honestly, how do either of you...' he paused as both the woman were glaring at him, daring him to continue. 'Never mind, can we got to business here?'

The women calmed down and Ziva just settled to watch Eva and Spencer go over their charts and maps for a few minutes, remembering how it came to this...

--

_Earlier today...1:10pm_

_Ziva had spent most of the morning sleeping and got up to have something eat an hour ago but now she was boredly reading a book on the couch. The time passed slowly and uneventfully until her cell phone rang and when Ziva answered it...she was talking to the very last person she wanted to have a conversation with._

_'Ziva David' she answered dully and hoped it wasn't Tony checking up on her._

_'Good, you are home' Eva's voice came through the phone and Ziva's blood boiled over. 'Relax, I come in peace...this time' Eva told her but the line went dead. Ziva found out why as the front door slammed open and Eva stood there with a gun held in surrender-style with on hand. Spencer was also standing beside her but his gun remained partially concealed at his waist._

_Ziva didn't even ask what they were doing there and grabbed her own gun from the table beside the couch and shot at Eva, but her move had been anticipated and she dove out of the way in time. She knew Eva was Mossad trained but nothing came more of a shock to her than to have Spencer suddenly behind her with a gun held to her skull._

_'Put down your weapon' Spencer said, but as Ziva moved her head slightly she noticed that he was actually talking to Eva._

_'I want to shoot her!' Eva snarled._

_'Exactly' Spencer said firmly. 'And you will...but not today, Eva'._

_Eva snarled angrily and put her weapon down before approaching the couch where Ziva sat._

_Ziva felt the gun click at her head but did not want to risk moving as she was still a bit sore from her injury, although it was mostly her shoulder now. She let out a breath of annoyance and held her weapon up, allowing Spencer to take it from her._

_Spencer tossed Ziva's weapon away before attaching his own back to his waist and took a breath, thinking things would settle enough for them to get to the reason they came but the moment his gun was gone from Ziva's skull she attacked and Eva did the same. Spencer wasn't sure what to do at first as both Mossad-trained women leapt at each other like two hungry lions and began to wrestle on the floor, knocking over a chair in the process. Spencer stepped over Ziva's book and tangled blankets before he inhaled and yelled loudly._

_'HEY! You both have good reasons to want the other dead but now is not the time!' he said and Eva put everything she had into pulling away from Ziva._

_'He is right...unfortunatly' Eva growled and accepted the hand Spencer held out to her._

_'Why are you here?' Ziva asked, getting up from the floor as well but knew Eva's weapon was only a few feet behind her, she could grab it if she needed it...although how long would it take Spencer to pull out his own gun again?_

_'Settle down ladies' Spencer said as they both death-glared at each other. _

_'How did you learn to move like that?' Ziva changed her question, figuring she would get to the other soon enough._

_'I'm FBI' Spencer replied and while Ziva was surprised, Eva was apparently much more shocked._

_'What?' Eva snapped at him. _

_'You are a traitor' Ziva added and neither woman appeared to notice that they had both now turned on him as though their hatred for each other had been forgotten._

_But Spencer knew their time was short and if Tony was to arrive home soon...they would have a much bigger problem on their hands for sure. 'Look, you will have to kill me or each other later as there is a problem with a man named John Mohamed trying to corrupt Israel intelligence'._

_'John Mohamed is dead' Ziva stated. 'Ari killed him and I have no doubt he suceeded'._

_'Then someone is using his name to overthrow Israel' Eva scowled and ran a hand over her forehead as she paced slightly. _

_'We need to team up on this one' Spencer announced and while Eva looked as though she'd eaten something sour, Ziva refused instantly._

_'I refuse to work with the monsters that took and hurt my son' Ziva growled sternly._

_'You need to tell her' Spencer turned to Eva and she glare at him but relaxed and nodded before stepping towards Ziva._

_'Our orders were to kidnap your son and hold him until he was ready to become a Terrorist but after six years we were to kill him if he wasn't ready' Eva explained to Ziva. 'But I took the job purely to ensure that he lived as well as to cause you pain. Spencer joined me for support mostly but we never intended to kill your son or hurt him but it was part of our job and if we were nice to him then our cover wouldn't have been believeable' she said but her tone then turned more serious. 'But if you don't co-operate with us now then we will kill Tony and Nathan at any cost!'_

_'If you kill us, others will take out place' Spencer added. 'Which is why Ari never killed us, he knew all along...'_

--

'We have to take off now' Eva's words snapped Ziva back into the present and she turned towards her. 'Do you have everything you need?'

Ziva went over the documents and files in front of her and checked. 'Yes' she nodded. 'But just so you know...I will kill you both one day'.

'Not if we get you first' Eva frowned.

'We really have to leave now' Spencer pressured as Eva went to retaliate further.

Eva nodded and got up, turning to walk away with him, still muttering slightly but as they turned a corner and dissappeared out of sight...Ziva couldn't stop thinking how she really just wanted to shoot them.

* * *

Tony nervously glanced at the wall clock in the living room and saw that it was nearly 7:30pm. He looked down at Nathan who was asleep beside him in his pyjamas as they had been watching a movie together and waiting for Ziva to come home. Tony sighed and got up, carefully taking the boy into his arms and carried him upstairs. He lay Nathan in his bed and then placed the blankets over him and ran a hand through his hair.

'You're a special kid' Tony smiled but then turned and left the door partially ajar as he went back downstairs in worry for his girlfriend...which was still a strange word to asociate with Ziva.

Although as he reached the bottom step he saw Ziva shutting the front door and relocking it.

'Sorry I am late' Ziva told him and he instantly noticed a cut on her cheek.

'Are you going to tell me where you went?' Tony wondered as he helped her out of her jacket with her shoulder still hurting her.

'Not tonight' she replied and kissed his cheek softly. 'Is Nathan asleep?'

'Yeah' Tony nodded and wasn't sure how to take Ziva's behaviour but she told him she wasn't telling him tonight so she did intend to tell him so he figured he would just wait and be greatful of her safe return.

'I am going to have a shower' Ziva smiled and kissed him passionatly for a second and then headed upstairs.

Tony watched and thought for a second. 'Did I miss something?' he wondered in confusion.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Let me know what you think! And any questions you may have. Please review.**

**-Mel**


	40. The Problem With Being a Parent

**Author's Notes:** A lot has been going on here, but I still managed to get this up! Oh hey, guess what? I finished the first draft of the first novel in my series!! So proud, this has been my dream. Now got a whole lotta editing, but never fear...I still have time for fanfics!  
Thanks to: **cyn23, sophie validus** (Ziva isn't exactly working with them, only on this little task. Also Israel are currently sort of after Eva+Spencer so their contacts are rather worthless there at the moment and it has to be reported, if it comes from Ziva it is likely to be taken more seriously), **missbodee, mia58** (Hense the name of the last chapter "did i miss something"? No it's not overly logical, but as mentioned above, they have to report the Israel threat somehow. Ziva's father is Deputy Mossad. And Eva is Israeli, she is from there...that is her home-country. Ziva said she would tell Tony),** dreamerchild88, nepeace** (thanks!), **meabh** (thanks, I always love new reviewers and readers :P. I update when I can, usually every few days but sometimes up to a week or two. Rarely more but life is hectic sometimes and I can't help that. Yes there are going to be more than 50 chapters, maybe even a 100! You should always at least give fanfiction a go, I'm here if you need anything as I have been writing for years and years), **ziva8912** (thanks!), **klynn07, majlis** (Ziva doesn't see much of a choice and also believes they may be onto something with the reports they need to get to Israel), **bluestriker666** and **ncis-ziva-abby.**  
Also huge thanks to: **Areethashinozzo** (liking the double-review! Spencer has to get his skills from somewhere and part of them came from the FBI. But that's all I'll say on that subject for now *wink*. Thanks), **immirose** (Hope your laptop gets better. I loved the cafe scene :P They're not exactly working together, only for that part. Also if Spencer allowed the girls to murder each other he may get the blame lol), **sbteja** (Eva was unaware of that part of Spencer's life for he wasn't with the FBI long and there is a slight backstory involved that will be shed in more detail later. Ziva didn't trust Eva at all, she didn't go along simply for that...she has other motives *wink*. Thanks), **ginnypotterthe7th** (Thanks! And yes, it should be), and **debook210** (You'll be left in the dark a little longer involving the big bosses involved with th operation. Thanks!).  
I feel like I missed somebody. Although I do miss reviews from **amber-chick**.

**

* * *

****Chapter forty: The problem with being a parent**

The weekend came around a few days later and Ziva still hadn't had time to fill Tony in on her adventure with Eva and Spencer, since Nathan had come down with a small virus and had to be taken care of. But he was better by Saturday and Ziva no longer got headaches (unless Tony was annoying her with movie quotes and plots). Her shoulder still hurt slightly at times, although it wasn't very noticable anymore.

But Ziva had more important things on her mind. With the evidence of a mysterious person or group trying to corrupt Israel authority and in turn, Mossad intelligence...she had spent all spare moments she had, to work on sorting through the reports, which left Tony to look after Nathan at times.

It was the weekend, and while they usually spent the two days off work (unless a case came up) together watching movies or doing some shopping, Ziva had something to take care of first. Tony and Nathan watched her frantic around for papers and had no idea what she was doing exactly but Tony had asked her the night before and she insisted it was Mossad work.

'But it's the weekend!' Nathan complained. 'Why do we have to go to NCIS now?'

'Your mom just has to talk to the Director about something' Tony told him while Ziva was in the car passenger seat on the phone. They arrived at NCIS and parked near the main entrance with Ziva promising she won't be too long.

Ziva held the files firmly in her grip as she almost marched seriously to the elevator and then up to MTAC where Jenny was rather surprised to see her.

'I need a secure line to Tel Aviv and my...and Deputy Director David' Ziva demanded as Jenny opened her mouth to question her.

Jenny agreed but was rather suspicious as to what was going on and hoped this wasn't an over-reacted result of Ziva having a fight with Tony or that she wanted to leave NCIS. But Jenny spotted the files in Ziva's hands and knew it was official business and Ziva must have something related to Mossad that her father required. Ziva asked her to leave but Jenny refused; she was the Director of NCIS and if one of her employees was making a important video call to Mossad, she felt it was within her duty to find out what it was detailing.

'Ziva?' Eli David was surprised as he answered the urgent call from his daughter on a weekend. 'What is this about?'

'I have intel that a person going by the name of deceased John Mohamed is trying to corrupt our intelligence' Ziva reported to him and then proceeded to reveal the evidence she had and informed him that it will all be transferred to him soon.

Jenny sat in the background and listened in, wondering where Ziva got all the information she had and if this was related to any of the current ongoing cases but she had a feeling it wasn't. As Ziva finished her video call, she turned to leave but Jenny got up and stopped her.

'I didn't realise Gibbs' team was working on an an ongoing Terrorism case' Jenny said but knew there wasn't.

'There is not' Ziva replied. 'And I cannot explain. It is Mossad related only, sorry' Sshe then left MTAC and went back to where Tony and Nathan were boredly awaiting her return, not feeling relaxed that her worry was over although wondered how Eva and Spencer had recieved the information and what motivation they had for handing it over to her.

'So how did you find out?' Tony wondered as he drove them towards home after they'd gone to see a movie and Ziva explained what she had been working on. Ziva was about to answer but felt rather saved when Nathan spotted a park and really wanted to play on it.

'I do not see why not' Ziva said and Tony was worried as to how casual she was about it with the kidnappers still out there. It was then that he knew for sure that something was wrong.

--

'Don't go too far, kiddo' Tony called out as Nathan took off at a run towards the park. Both adults sat on a park bench nearby, watching their son play with such joy and excitement, as well as spend some time talking to other kids. But a few minutes later, Tony demanded to know what was going on.

Ziva stared at him for a moment and sighed in defeat, taking a minute to think how to explain her encounter with Eva and Spencer before she proceeded to tell Tony the full story. And to say the least, his reaction truly amused her.

'I did miss something' Tony said once he'd found his voice again. 'But how could you trust them? They took Nathan! It could have been a trap, you should have called for backup'.

'I did not trust them' Ziva replied. 'but Eva Jose was Mossad and she had such passion and detication to it...I believed she had Mossad in her best interest at the time and I was right. I will hunt her down and kill her for what she'd done...but that was not the time' Ziva sighed. 'I have a...bad feeling, that perhaps they are only part of a larger picture. Eva was hired by someone who truly wanted to hurt my son and we know nothing of them'.

Tony nodded and didn't like that she had that bad feeling because she was probably right. 'Didn't you ask them?' Tony wondered.

'There was no time' Ziva replied and turned back to watch her son, dismissing the topic for now as they just wanted to enjoy their weekend together without worrying about the kidnappers or any harm coming to the young boy that was laughing and enjoying himself on the playground like any normal child should.

It was early afternoon so they had a lot of time and no one seemed to mind just spending an hour at the park. And Nathan wasn't getting bored with the playground so the adults just let him play. But after some time Tony pondered on something as he watched Nathan and the other kids interact.

'Do you think you'd ever have another kid?' Tony asked Ziva casually and pulled her from a simular thought process. He didn't get a reply to glanced at her to see a concerned expression on her face whilst he appeared rather calm about it all.

'Are you feeling okay?' Ziva asked and placed a hand on his forehead, which made him smirk and tease her.

'I am fine' he replied, very much alike how she always told him that she was okay regardless of if she really was or not.

Ziva frowned at him and then turned back to keep an eagle-eye on her son, who was now talking to a girl his age.

'Think I should give him some pointers?' Tony joked as he too was watching Nathan talking to the girl about something they both seemed to find rather interesting.

'The boy is eight!' Ziva said and laughed but noticed a sort of odd expression on Tony's face, which made her do a re-think about what he'd said earlier. 'Were you serious about the question?' Ziva wondered but both knew she was refering to if she thought she would have another kid or not.

'Just curious' Toyn shrugged and brushed it off. 'Did Nathan get to hang out with other kids before he was kidnapped?' he tried to redirect the conversation with another question but she gave him a stern look and he sighed, knowing he was busted...which was to be expected when trying to lie to Ziva. 'I was just wondering' he admitted.

Ziva looked back over at Nathan and watched him for a few minutes, thinking to herself as she'd never really thought about it until Tony brought it up, since she was so focused on the past and present that the future never really occured to her.

'I would like one more child' Ziva decided with a small smile as she pictured caring for another baby and of having more joy and laughter around the house. 'Some day...not today' she made a note of saying firmly to Tony though as he draped his arm around the back of the bench she was leaning against.

'I'm not that keen!' Tony laughed.

'You clearly think that if I am to have another child it would be with you' Ziva noted aloud but quickly continued when his expression turned rather offended and slightly hurt. 'I just mean...you have changed' Ziva sighed. 'The man who would flee from commitment exceeding a weekend...' she trailed off and he understood what she was saying.

'NCIS is running bets on how long it will take for us to get married' he added, but was now watching Nathan and Ziva found his expression harder to read.

'Abby?' Ziva guessed and Tony smirked.

'Always' he nodded. 'But I hear Nathan helped'.

Ziva smiled and expected nothing less from Abby or her son. A comfortable silence fell over the pair again as they watched their son play and linked hands, while Ziva moved closer to the man she loved, wondering if one day they would bring a child into the world.

* * *

It wasn't until almost another two hours later that the small family headed home. They got back inside and Nathan had only just finished his stories of kids he'd met and how much fun he had when Tony and Ziva shared a look and Tony nodded, encouraging Ziva to tell the boy.

'Nathan?' Ziva asked as she removed his coat. 'There is something we wish to tell you'.

'Is it bad?' Nathan's mood dropped quickly.

'Nothing bad' Tony said and Nathan nodded. He relaxed and waited for his mother to continue.

'We have talked about it and...Tony can officially be your father is that is still what you want' Ziva said slowly, allowing her son to absorb her words fully.

'You...' Nathan looked from both adults to ensure that they weren't kidding. 'You...meant that?!' he grinned in overjoyment and hugged Tony which actually resulted in him leaping into his arms and Tony picked him up. 'You're my daddy!' Nathan grinned and hugged Tony. 'For real!'

'Sure am, kiddo' Tony said, still feeling unsure and very doubtful but it wasn't really up to him or Ziva to decide as the boy clearly already thought of him as his father and Tony had started to consider the boy as his son anyway.

'Excuse me' Ziva smiled and walked away to answer her phone call from a Mossad Officer, leaving Tony to take care of Nathan. They'd eaten on their way home so that was taken care of, all that was left was a bath and then settled for the movie _"Spy Kids"_ that Nathan had been waiting all week to see on TV.

--

By 8:30pm, Ziva was still on the phone discussing the last of the Mossad business so Tony took Nathan up to bed and tucked him in, but soon found that it was a bad idea when the boy hit him with questions.

As Tony struggled to answer them all, the lights suddenly went out everywhere and Tony protected Nathan out of instict by picking him up. Ziva soon took Nathan from him so Tony could check to see if the blackout was natural or intentional. Once assured the power-outage was a result of a distant thunderstorm, the group settled in the living room with candles to play a game of _"fish"_ as Nathan refused to go to bed in the dark.

The game dragged on for a while until they grew bored of it and Tony just shared a few stories with Nathan about how he worked in Baltimore before NCIS, but before long he'd fallen asleep in Ziva's lap and had to be taken up to his own bed so he could get a decent sleep.

The adults stood in the doorway of Nathan's room which was dimly lit by the moonlight and Tony wrapped his arm around her waist, feeling they were all in a good part of their lives and relationship right now. As they stared at the sleeping boy, the topic drifted back to having a child of their own one day, until the discussion began to freak Ziva out and Tony grew rather paranoid.

'I think it's time we...' Tony started to say but let out a yawn as it was at rather late hours of the night by now. '...sleep' he finished and Ziva agreed, going downstairs to blow out the candles while Tony showered.

'Nathan will probably end up in our bed in a few hours' Tony added as Ziva entere the bedroom freshly showered and in her ngihtgown.

'He will' Ziva nodded and got under the blankets, moving to cuddle close to Tony and just enjoyed his comfort. It was still a new adjustment for them both to have someone by their side every night; a person that was not just a lover but a best friend as well.

'Just so you know...I wouldn't mind' Tony broke the silence a few minutes later.

'Mind what?' Ziva asked a little sleepily.

'Having another kid...I don't think I would mind' Tony said with a small shrug.

'Really?' Ziva raised an eyebrow and looked up at him. 'A baby that cries, requires constant changing and attention? You can't leave it for a moment or sleep in late mornings...you do not think you would mind?' she teased.

'Well...when you put it that way' Tony laughed. 'But they grow out of that stuff eventually...right?'

'Yes' Ziva said, her tone lowering as she was getting close to falling asleep whilst Tony was rather wide-awake. 'But they have to be taught, fed, raised, encouraged and tolerated at times...it is a big job'.

Tony said nothing else as he knew she was tired and just let her sleep, but he was so sure it wouldn't be too bad once he got the hang of things. But she was right...an addition to their family in the form of a baby, another child...that was certainly not something they were ready for now. But at least it was an option...at least they had both accepted that the future may one day hold that kind of addition to their household and family. Tony was content with that and tried not to allow himself time to truly think about what it would be like to go through the fathering process right from the very beginning.

'I love you, Zee-Vah' he kissed her forehead and she mumbled something he first thought was "muv too" but knew she was half-asleep and trying to return his words. 'Goodnight, sweetcheeks' he said and closed his eyes, allowed sleep to wash over him while Ziva debated on elbowing him for the nickname she so bluntly despised while at the same time liking it.

'Night' Ziva mumbled in reply, seconds before sleep overtook her completly and moments before her young son awoke from the thunder outside and disturbed their attempted sleep by joining them in the bed. But all that resulted in was for the three of them to cuddle up and fall back to sleep together...

* * *

**Author's Notes: Let me know whatcha think! :)**

**-Mel**


	41. Suicidal Lunatics and Homicidal Maniacs

**Author's Note:** I could not even begin to explain that has caused such a delay on my updating. Although my book is almost ready to be published and that has taken some time. All I can say it that I am back on track again and expect more from me soon! Thanks to my reviewers: **cyn23, ginnypotterthe7th, NCIS-ziva-abby, bluestriker666, zevirahwolf, sbteja, crs529, immirose, debook210** (Nathan will attempt school sometime in the future, but not yet)**, ncisislikecupcakes, evincis, brightsilverkitty, majlis, achildwithbloodstaineddagger, shiloh'scrimsonskye, jen-ncis-lover, adrienne and of course, amber-chick** (I made Eli deputy director for a reason although it does not comply with the show timeline. Ziva does not know the truth behind Eva just yet, involving their connection I mean. True, their kid would be on the top of recruitment lists hehe)**!! **

I would personally comment on each review and thank you all but I have decided to just upload this chapter as it is overdue. Also I will update in a day or so since this one is a little short and I owe everyone, or at least I feel that I do.**

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**Chapter forty-one: Suicidal lunatics and homicidal maniacs**

It was almost two weeks later and the kidnapping case had been put on hold after no clues, evidence or further leads gave them anything to work with at all. It was aimless work and even Ziva soon came to accept that they could go no further in the case at the time being. So for the next few days, Gibbs' team sortde through some cases left by other teams that were away on important missions and it was slowly driving them all insane. There was no thrill of the chase, no crime scenes or great puzzles to solve, no interrogations or suspects to stare down...it was just fact-checking, paperwork and simple tasks or missions to carry out.

'I feel like a Probie' Tony groaned as he picked up yet another case file to read over and Ziva flexed her neck to avoid commiting an act of violent towards her own pile of reports, documents, warrents and photos.

'Where are you going McRunner?' He than accused as McGee left the office, most likely to check some forensics or computer-geek facts with Abby.

Nathan glanced up from where he was sitting on the floor between Tony and McGee's desk and wandered over to the now-empty desk to stare at McGee's pile of files. A renewed expression of interest and enjoyment lit up the boy's face as he put on his NCIS cap and clipped his _"badge"_ to his shirt before taking a seat at McGee's desk with a file to read over.

Tony got up to check the file Nathan was reading and after assuring it wasn't too inappropriate for him to read/look at, he just left him there and smirked at the amout of focus upon his young features.

Moments later a man came into the office and caught the attention of the Agents working there, most of them just praying that this new stranger was going to make their jobs worth doing again or bring some enlightment to a torturing day of work.

'I'm here to see the person in charge?' The man asked rather dully and Nathan took the chance to jump out of his seat and approach him, known his mother was on his right and father on his left so the man could not possibly be any threat to him.

'Can I help you?' Nathan asked in his best boss-voice as the others watched and the man was rather shocked as he was just a kid.

'What do you want?' Nathan continued to demand. 'Do not waste my time!' Nathan said and slammed the file in his hand against Tony's desk.

'I...came to give this to the man in charge' The stranger added and looked at Tony and than Ziva for help but they gave nothing away nor offered any words to assist him.

'Well hand it over' Nathan held out a hand while keeping his authority tone and expression.

'Ah...' the man looked at Gibbs, thinking he was the oldest so surely he was the real man in charge and not a...kid?

'You heard the boss' GIbbs replied and gestured to Nathan.

After the man had left, Nathan handed the file to Gibbs but could no longer control his laughter and doubled over in McGee's chair while Tony found it hilarious as well. Ziva and Gibbs were amused but the moment was short-lived as Jenny came down the stairs and requested the file.

'I would like for Tony and Ziva to partake in an important opperation-' Jenny's sentence was cut short however by Nathan making a loud, accidental mess at McGee's desk the moment he'd heard her words.

'Sorry' Nanthan mumbled and quickly ducked under the desk to clean up the mess before reappearing looking very worried.

'What do you need us to do?' Ziva wondered.

'We are at your service!' Tony said enthusiastically but stopped short of his accent when Gibbs glared in his direction and Jenny looked at him disaprovingly.

'Tomorrow I would like you both to keep an eye on a suspect to see if he meets up with a woman by the name of Janita Karls from the CIA' Jenny told them.

'I want to go too!' Nathan suddenly begged, fearful of his parents being in danger and of being seperated from them all day.

'It can be my NCIS training!' He added hopfully.

'NCIS training?' Ziva repeated and looked at Jenny in confusion.

'Nathan wants to be an NCIS Agent when he grows up' Jenny explained while Gibbs spoke to the boy.

'It is too dangerous for you Nathan' Gibbs said. 'But Tony an Ziva will be armed'.

'I want a gun too!' Nathan said, hoping that if he had one then he could go along with them. He reply made Ziva snort loudly in amusement but she than tried to hide her laugher while Tony just looked very worried.

* * *

The next day came around a lot faster than it seemed. Tony and Ziva got out of the car and looked around the busy streets of Georgetown, looking for their suspect and the CIA woman that they were there to find and spy on...perhaps even arrest.

'What does she look like again?' Nathan asked as he got out of the car and looked around, seeming very proud.

Ziva passed her son a picture while Gibbs' car parked and he got out. No one was completely sure who had convinced Tony and Ziva to allow Nathan to come with them but it wasn't expected to be a very dangerous task and Gibbs was there to watch him the entire time while Tony and Ziva did their jobs.

Their main priority was the suspect, so Tony and Ziva looked for him while Nathan was to keep an eye out for the redhead CIA woman that their tip indicated he could be meeting with.

'On your 3 o'clock' Tony said softly to Ziva and she nodded, turning to casually look in the direction of their target. Ziva pulled out her ceel phone and pretended to be talking on it as she asked for status check from McGee as he had equipment set up nearby so they could watch the scene from a distance as well as use the footage as evidence if they needed it later.

Tony grabbed a newspaper and glanced at Nathan before watching the man who was sitting on a bench outside a store, until he nudged Ziva when he noticed a drunken man approaching their target and started having a go at him.

'Trouble' Ziva said calmly and with slight annoyance as they crossed the street and stood at a bus stop several feet away from their target.

'Nathan' Ziva then grabbed her son and pushed him slightly away behind her before raising her wrist to talk to McGee and the others.

'We have a possible suicide bomber!' She hissed but kept her cool as she backed away and Tony followed. 'The man with a beard and in a dark coat' Ziva added as they watched the man sitting beside the target while the drunken man was still trying to pick a fight with their target but was ignored.

'We've been made' Tony said as their target looked at them and then got up rather hastily before heading off in the direction opposite them. He rounded a corner and took off.

'Nathan, stay with Gibbs!' Ziva called out as she and Tony took off after the target and two backup Agents followed suit, but Nathan hadn't heard her as he'd spotted the CIA woman and chased after her. Gibbs had glacned away for a second as Tony and Ziva suddenly took off and that one second made him lose Nathan.

'Wait!' Nathan called but wasn't loud enough for the woman to hear as she walked fast away from the scene. He picked up speed but then bumped into her as she stopped suddenly.

'Um...' He looked up at her as she turned around and wondered where Gibbs or his parents were. She was watching him suspiciously so he quickly came up with and idea and climbed to his feet.

'I'm lost!' Nathan said as sadly as he could muster.

The CIA woman's face softened slightly but did not seem eager to help him, although she didn't have much chance to do or say anything as Ziva came out of nowhere and tackled her.

'Go mama!' Nathan cheered as Ziva slapped handcuffs on the woman and passed her over to McGee. 'Ow!' he than yelped as she grabbed him by the ear rather painfully and scowled at him.

'Do not ever run off like that again!' she said angrily but then released him and hugged him tightly.

--

After the situation had been settled and the required actions taken care of, the group headed back to NCIS. Nathan sat in the backseat of the car alone with his arms crossed and a annoyed frown set firmly on his face.

'This isn't fair' He grumbled, as he was not grounded for the first time in his life.

'I caught a traitor' Nathan continued to mumble as Ziva drove at her usual speed and Tony glanced back in amusement to how the boy just sat there, completely uneffected buy the sudden turns or speed increases. Ziva slammed the brakes on hard once and he still wasn't bothered, it was as though it was simply a smooth drive to him...or perhaps he was too annoyed to notice?

They soon arrived back at NCIS and upon reaching the Squad Room, GIbbs noticed that Nathan was still in a bad mood because Ziva's mood towards him hadn't changed either. She had given him a lecture about running off and ignored the fact that without him they would not have caught the CIA traitor.

'Stay here' Ziva instructed him and pointed to her desk. Once he obeyed she strode off towards the interrogation rooms and Tony cast Nathan a slightly sympathetic look but said nothing and rushed to catch up with Ziva.

'This sort of unfairness should be against the law' Nathan growled, forgetting that Gibbs was still in the office waiting for McGee to come back with a warrant. Nathan took a calming breath and then looked over at Gibbs and felt proud as a rather enlightened look spread across Gibbs' face...he was proud of the boy.

'You know I did good' Nathan said. 'Why is mama so mad at me? And daddy won't talk to me either' Nathan said, turning to Gibbs for answers since he seemed to be on his side.

'Nah...she's not mad' Gibbs smirked and approached the desk.

'She looked mad...she felt mad' Nathan grumbled and rubbed his ear in the memory of her grabbing him.

'You mom is just worried of losing you again' Gibbs explained.

'You came along on a mission and than ran off, dissappearing while potentially dangerous situations could occur' He shrugged. 'She's not mad, but fear is a hard emotion for her to express'.

'Oh' Nathan wasn't angry anymore as he understood. 'And daddy was scared too? Is that why he won't say anything or stop mama from yelling at me?'

'Did she yell at you?' Gibbs asked, raising an eyebrow.

'Well...no, but she was...' Nathan didn't know how to explain being in trouble so just left his words there and sighed heavily.

'I understand, I'm sorry' He than felt guilty for making his parents worry and fearful of losing him. 'I won't do it again...running off without permission, I mean'.

'Yeah you will' Gibbs nodded as he ruffled the boy's hair and walked back to his desk. 'In about five years'.

* * *

**A/N: What did you think? As for why they allowed the child to go with them, it was because it was simply meant to be observation. They were to watch a person mostly. Let me know what you thought; I will updte again very soon. Next chapter the kidnapping case moves forward and something very interesting occurs. Please review!**

**-Mel**


	42. Getting a Lead

**Author's Notes:** Before I thank all my lovely reviewers I wish to personally thank Immirose, well actually everyone here should. Without her, I would not have found the burning motivating to continue writing this fic without forcing myself to do so. She has reminded me why I adore this fic so much and for that reason I am working on it as you read this and am currently up to writing chapter 53 and counting.

Thanks to: **Ziny-dinozzo** (Yeah, I know the kid you're talking about. :P. There should be no more spelling mistakes from now on as I have a spellchecker on my new program now, whew. Also my novel is indeed fiction, it's mostly fantasy/adventure. I can't say much more than that until it's published but I will let you know when it is for it's not too long now! Glad to hear it), m**ajlis, brightsilverkitty, shella-belle, ncisislikecupcakes, gsr4ever, ginnypotterthe7th, cyn23, sbteja** (my fave part too heh. That chapter was mostly a filler but ti does have some importance to the story, however minor it may be), **dallassteele** (Thanks for your lovely review! Jack is in a holding cell, although had frequent visits to the interrogation room. Team tiva cannot talk to him or else he will not be breathing afterwards and Gibbs will be stuck with a lot of paperwork ;). Heh you referenced a season 7 ep name that is on tomorrow night here. And thanks), **Immirose** (my she-god! Heh I pondered on having something happen to Nathan but the poor kid would be the unluckiest person on Earth if I did that. Haha, I adored that boss-Nathan scene too. There will be more "daddy" not to worry. Thanks!), and **bluestriker666** (I will, thanks).

**Before you read this chapter:**_ please keep in mind that no matter how determined you may be to kill me, remember that with me dead you will no longer get updates! So leave the pitchforks, automatic weapons and objects of mass destruction in the dusty closet, please. With that said...enjoy!_**

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**Chapter forty-two: Getting a lead**

Days passed by and soon turned to weeks but still they had nothing to go on with the kidnappers. Or at least that's what they thought. Monday morning started off as per usual until a few hours before lunch and Fornell showed up and wanted to speak to Gibbs in their "conference room" aka the elevator.

'Nathan' Gibbs said as he left the elevator forty minutes later with Fornell following behind him. 'Do you remember our Director, Jenny?'

'Yes' Nathan nodded as he looked up from a comic book Tony had brought him to read.

'Well would it be okay if you could spend some time with her today. We have some boring work to do here and I'm sure she'd like to get to know you a bit better' Gibbs said as nicely as he could while the other Agent could see the strain in his expression that suggested this was very important.

'I agree' Ziva jumped in.

'Yeah, a whole day with the Director of NCIS?' Tony added enthusiastically and Nathan was left with no real choice but to agree.

'Agent McGee will take you up to see her' Gibbs added and gave McGee a stern glare. Once they'd left he turned to Tony and Ziva. 'Agent Fornell here has gone over all our evidence and used necessary resources to gather information on our kidnappers...trying to find out who they work for'.

'And you found something?' Ziva guessed, standing up anxiously.

'I may have some clues about who is in charge, yes' Fornell nodded, holding up some files that Ziva instantly snatched off him, surprising him only slightly.

'Yeah...Officer David is a real people-person' Gibbs joked but went serious again as everyone set to work.

--

Jenny hadn't been informed that she would be spending the day with the young David but the look on McGee's face as he brought the boy in gave her all the information she needed to play along.

'Hello Nathan' she smiled.

'Hi' he said a little shyly as McGee had left now and he didn't know Jenny very well, only that she was the boss of NCIS.

'Well this is a little bit awkward' Jenny sighed and Nathan glanced up, agreeing in amusement.

'And my office isn't very interesting but I'm sure we can find something to keep you busy' Jenny looked around and made mental note to have a word with Gibbs later about making her Nathan's babysitter without any warning.

'What...I mean, what do you do as NCIS boss?' Nathan wondered curiously as he looked around the office.

'I make sure everyone is doing what they're supposed to be doing' Jenny said, thinking mostly of Gibbs as she said it. 'I check all reports from every case. I fire or hire people...I talk to others all over the wold from the CIA, FBI and the Pentagon to Mossad and troops fighting in Iraq...and many other complicated things'.

'That sounds like a lot of work' Nathan said in surprise and looked around again. 'Doesn't someone help you?'

'I have my assistant Cynthia to help me but I'm a hard worker, I like challenges'.

'Mama likes challenges too' Nathan commented. 'She told me you were friends?'

'Yes, I have know your mother for quite some time' Jenny nodded and sat at her desk, unsure on how to spend the day working with a child that was sure to get bored soon enough.

--

Gibbs and his team spent many hours tracking down the other kidnappers that they didn't know about or that didn't have direct contact with Nathan, along with any other men that were a part of the operation.

'Markus Sawl' Tony announced a hit on one of the men running the background operations for the kidnapping. 'Current address is in Virginia'.

'Let's roll!' Gibbs announced and while everyone geared up he grabbed Ziva's forearm and stared at her firmly. 'We are going to bring him back alive Ziva, he needs to talk and function. You are under strict instructions not to shoot without a reason that isn't personal'.

'But...' Ziva went to object as she really wasn't sure if she would be able to contain herself.

'You follow those orders, Officer David' Gibbs said. 'Or you stay here'.

'Fine' Ziva said through narrowed eyes and clenched teeth. 'I will not shoot simply because he deserves it'.

Gibbs nodded and led the group (including Fornell) to the elevator while Tony and Ziva tagged behind at the very back, exchanging a few glances that only they could understand.

--

'NCIS!' Gibbs announced as he kicked down a door to the two-storey house where the man Markus Sawl was currently meant to be hiding in.

There were three men at least there but Fornell and Gibbs managed to grab one while McGee and two back-up Agents cornered the second but Markus himself was a lot faster and ducked out the back, causing Tony and Ziva along with one back-up Agent to chase after him.

Markus hadn't planned his escape out too well though and soon found himself trapped by fence down a trashed alley, with Tony and Ziva staring at him.

'I want to shoot him' Ziva snarled and the hand she was gripping her gun which shook slightly.

'I did not touch the boy!' Markus pleaded.

'No, you just stood by while others did!' Ziva screamed angrily.

'It was his own fault for struggling!' Markus continued and Tony noticed he had a knife in his hand but was too far away to use it and Markus certainly didn't seemed like the trained-criminal type. But when he blamed his inaction on Nathan...Tony was as mad as Ziva and gripped his gun tighter.

Gibbs was searching for the third man, knowing Ziva was leading the small group after him and was worried she would not restrain herself.

As gunfire went off, Gibbs picked up speed and found them in an alley. But he'd expected to find Ziva aiming her gun at the man that was now bleeding on the ground with a wounded shoulder...although Ziva's gun was lowered so she hadn't been the one to shoot him.

'DiNozzo!' Gibbs growled and head-slapped him.

'He had a weapon, boss' Tony answered weakly, lowering his own weapon while Ziva looked at him with admiration.

Gibbs shook his head and wondered how he hadn't seen this coming...he should have given DiNozzo the same warning he had Ziva. He'd clearly forgotten that Tony wanted payback as well.

'He's still alive' Fornell announced and Gibbs breathed again while Tony just had a _"well duh"_ look on his face. Sometimes Gibbs found himself wondering if Tony was going to be the death of him.

* * *

Nathan had played card games with Jenny and received a tour of various places in the building including MTAC, so he'd had a rather okay day but was still happy to be back in the office where his parents were.

By very late afternoon when it was time to head home, most of the people had been caught, which left...Spike/Spencer Wright, Eve/Eva Jose, Winston Jefferies, three other unidentified men and the overall boss of the entire operation.

'And how was your day, sport?' Tony asked as Nathan came back into the office and Jenny headed after Gibbs in annoyance.

'It was okay' Nathan shrugged. 'Did you catch any bad guys and throw them in jail?' he wondered eagerly.

'Sure did' Tony nodded with a grin. 'There are less kidnappers out there now, only a few more and you won't ever have to worry about them again'.

'Cool' Nathan smiled and relaxed as though he'd just recovered from a very stressful event.

'Can we go home now?' he wondered, feeling a bit hungry and wanted to watch a movie...just relax in knowing that there were less people out there that wanted to take him away from his parents.

'Of course' Ziva smiled and kissed his forehead while Tony retrieved Nathan's jacket.

--

The group left the Navy Yard and got into their car, almost feeling as though they were home already. There wasn't as much traffic as usual and the streets only ten minutes from their house were almost empty.

'Can we have pizza tonight?' Nathan wondered from the back seat where he was finishing his comic book.

'I'm all for pizza' Tony grinned and glanced at Ziva.

'I do not feel like cooking tonight' Ziva shrugged as she turned right and noticed they were once again on a partially empty street and started to get a little suspicious.

'Pizza it is!' Tony said and looked outside. 'Where is everyone tonight?' he wondered, only moments before a explosion went off towards their right and smoke clouded their sight.

Nathan sat upright and looked around, feeling his head hurting but that was the least of his problems as both his parents were knocked out an seconds later something hard contacted with his skull and it all went black...

--

He didn't know how long he'd been out for, but when Nathan awoke with a throbbing head...he was scared. He looked around nervously and noticed he was in an unfamiliar room but all details were lost on him as the door opened and a woman came into the darkened room. She stopped at the bed and looked down at him, moving an inch closer so the moonlight glazed her face as Winston entered the room behind her with a smirk on his face, making Nathan feel a shiver of increasing fear.

'Hey Nathan' Eve said to him. 'Welcome back'.

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**A/N: Now remember, all weapons down people. This chapter was rather short but I will update again quite soon but in the meantime please let me know that you thought!**

**-Mel**

_Thanks again to Immirose._


	43. Into the Danger

**Author's Notes:** Thanks to my reviewers: **Ziny-dinozzo** (Hehehe, and you were right), **shella-belle** (That depends where you do aim it. The explosion was merely a distraction etc so Tony and Ziva weren't injured, well not physically anyway), **citroentje94, ginnypotterthe7th** (yes, it's established that I am indeed evil :P. Lol. Thanks and if they live a normal life than there isn't much story, plus it just wouldn't seem right heh), **majlis** (you said they were caught...who were you refering to?), **cyn23, bluestriker666, ncisislikecupcakes, brightsilverkitty** (nope, sorry...everyone is awake), **sbetja** (Eva is trained for it...it's what she does. The other questions will be answered in this chapter), **tiva fanatic** (there will be more tiva action but right now they're trying to keep their son alive! When things calm down, there will be more tiva-ness for sure). And of course, thanks to **immirose** for everything! Your comments etc were great, although I am unsure as to how I could respond to all your comments and help while still leaving room for the chapter, lol.But yeah, thanks although you're right...Eva/Eve's going to be a bit different this time around. Enjoy!!**

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**Chapter forty-three: Into the danger**

'W-what do you want with me?' Nathan trembled and tried to back away from them.

'You don't ask questions' Eve told him but he did notice her lack of meanness and anger towards him. 'You just do as you're told and nobody gets hurt'.

'Eve, are you forgetting who is in charge here?' Winston frowned and stood beside her, shoving her aside slightly.

'Nathan...my boy, you are in for quite an experience' He smirked. 'We need to continue your training'.

'I will never hurt people like you monsters do!' Nathan growled. He didn't know where his sudden lapse of bravery came from but he was determined not to hurt anyone. Although his words resulted in Winston slapping him across the face.

'Alba is on the phone for you, sir' Spike entered the room and stood beside Eve, which interrupted Nathan's punishment for the time being.

'What does he want now?' Winston snapped but snatched the phone off Spike and left.

'A-are you going to kill me?' Nathan asked Eve fearfully.

Eve looked at Spike and they just stared at each for a moment and at the same time turned back to look at Nathan. Neither of them said anything but Nathan wasn't sure if it was a good or bad sign. Neither of them seemed eager to hurt him or yell at him...perhaps he wasn't going to be kept very long this time?

--

Things were evenly paced and carefully planned out with Winston and his group but at NCIS it was the very opposite...

Tony was furious and if anyone spoke to him he would either yell or just snap grumpily.

Ziva was another story; she sat at her desk with an apparently calm expression but beside her hand was her fully-loaded gun and anyone who looked into her eyes felt as though they were looking into the face of death.

'Find him!' Gibbs yelled angrily at a pair of FBI Agents that were helping with the case and than hurried off, leaving one behind to await Fornell.

'Tyre tracks?' Tony asked in an angry tone but he was trying to keep it under control the best he could.

'Too distorted to make a match' The FBI Agent reported nervously as he glanced at his notepad as though he was trying to avoid meeting the gaze of the Devil.

'There was an explosion' Tony continued. 'Did you find a detonator?'

'No, we're still looking' The Agent replied and edged away as Tony got up from his desk and appeared to be ready to strangle him.

'DiNozzo' Gibbs warned but the FBI Agent then made one _very _bad move.

'I doubt the kid is harmed' He said.

'I mean, they had him for five years and it's only been a few hours-' He never got to finish his comment as Ziva had gripped her gun and fired a bullet right between his feet. She stared at him with a daring expression as if she was encouraging him to give her a reason to actually hit him next time.

Gibbs saw the danger and took action before Ziva actually killed someone. He sent the FBI Agent away and approached her desk but she got to her feet instantly and tried to appear casual.

'I am going to calm down' She insisted and left the office, but while Gibbs was assuring the surrounding people that everything was okay, Tony noticed that Ziva still had her gun with her...where was she going?

* * *

It was a bit past midnight and still Nathan willed himself to stay awake. He was curled up on his bed and could not take his stare off the door, until it opened and made him jump but he quickly pretended to be asleep.

'Wake up' He heard someone say but they didn't shove or yell at him so Nathan obeyed before jumping out of the way.

'Shh' Spencer said and held up his hands to show he wasn't armed.

'I'm going to get you out' He promised. 'But do you remember what we taught you?' He wondered.

Nathan thought for a moment and then nodded. 'Yes'.

'Good' Spencer said and breathed softly in relief. 'Then, come on kid'.

--

Ziva drove down the dark streets of Washington DC, her tyres screeched along the way as she made rapid turns and evaded traffic at an incredible speed. Her mind was set on only one thing: finding her son. They had taken him from her once before but she was going to get him back this time and not a single one responsible will live to gloat about it.

Ziva never thought she'd see the day when she would bless the existence of technology but she did as she followed Eva's signal from the GPS in her phone...thanks to the phone call she had made weeks ago.

Ziva took another sharp left and skidded to a stop outside a house. Ziva gripped her gun in one hand and her backup in another before she kicked down the door and didn't even check the identities of the people before she shot them dead to the floor.

'Where is my son?' She screamed at one man but Winston came from behind and knocked her down. Her backup was kicked away but she rolled over to shoot at him and clipped his shoulder slightly but he was a lot faster than she'd anticipated.

'Ugh!' Ziva cried out more from anger than pain when Winston kicked her hard in the side and ripped her gun from her grasp. She wasn't sure what do to next and expected to be shot but there were sounds of struggling and as Ziva got to her feet she saw Winston fall at the hands of...Eva?

'I do not understand' Ziva said as Eva killed Winston assassin-style. 'Why are you helping?'

'I want to cause you pain' Eva said as she handed Ziva's gun back and pulled out her own.

'But that doesn't mean someone else can' She smirked and kicked down a door, shooting another man in the head right between the eyes. She had known that Ziva would come, and all her plans had been resting on that.

'Besides' Eva added. 'Nathan is Ari's nephew and Ari was my half-brother too' She confessed but avoided eye contact.

'What?' Ziva felt dizzy as she was more confused by the information but had little time to dwell on it as two other men showed up to stop them but with their Mossad training and teaming up...no one didn't stand a chance.

'Where is my son?' Ziva demanded to know as she dug her foot into the throat of a fallen man and effectively knocked him unconscious.

'Do not worry; he is upstairs with Spencer' Eva replied. 'He isn't being harmed'.

Ziva spared no time and hurried up the flight of stairs to find her son but a man walked through a nearby door and grabbed Ziva in a choke-hold while another man placed a gun against the side of her head. Their actions also caused Eva to hesitate.

'Have you become soft, Officer Jose?' The boss laughed. 'I thought you were up to this mission. It appears that I was wrong'.

'You used me!' Eva snarled. 'I may be an assassin trained to torture and kill...but I am no monster like you!'

'You never harmed the boy?' The boss laughed because he knew that she had at times.

'Only to teach him! I never tried to break his arm or hurt him simply for the pleasure of hitting a child you blame for your problems' Eva frowned.

'I was blinded by my own suffering...you used that against me and for that you will die!' She raised her weapon to point it at his head while Spencer was in a room nearby coaching Nathan as the boy used a phone.

'Good' Spencer said while running a hand through Nathan's hair as he hung up. Things only got worst when he turned around and saw that his mother was in danger while she tried to free herself from the choking grasp.

'Mama!' He yelled and tried to run towards her but Spencer grabbed him in an effort to restrain him. 'Let me go!'

'Ow!' Spencer yelped as Nathan stomped on his foot and ran towards Ziva. He was rather fast but that came with years of attempted escapes. Nathan tried to punch the man but the boss had his accomplice kick the boy away.

Eva saw a chance since the boss wasn't holding a weapon and she shot the accomplice in the head which left the boss presumably unarmed and also Eva could now make demands without hesitating since he still had Ziva in a choke-hold.

'Let her go' Eva ordered the boss with a icy tone that clearly meant she was in no mood for games or any fooling around.

The boss smirked and with such force, he shoved Ziva right into Eva (who was rather startled) and the two woman toppled onto the floor. That gave him enough time to grab Nathan and hold a knife to his throat that he'd just extracted from the belt of his accomplice.

'Damn it' Spencer cursed as he made his way into the room and stood beside Eva with his own gun clutched in his hand but the boss, Miko Grayson, threatened to kill the boy if they didn't drop their weapons and kick them aside.

The doors downstairs burst open as FBI flooded the place and it was almost in slow motion that Miko realized he wasn't getting out of that house alive and that he still hadn't completed what he'd aimed to accomplish.

'Ari Haswari' He said as Ziva made a move to take him down, which effectively caused her to freeze for a moment but his grip on Nathan was too tight and the knife too close as the boy just trembled and remained as still as he could manage.

'He is the reason for all of this!' Miko growled.

'He is dead' Ziva said coldly while she prepared to grab her fallen gun that was within feet of her grasp but she didn't want to risk her son's life and the knife was too tightly pressed to his skin.

'He turned his back on us! On Hamas!' The boss roared angrily and obviously didn't care that he was giving away the meaning behind their entire operation. It wasn't as though he expected to make it out of there alive anyway.

'To babysit...this little brat!' He lost himself to his hatred for Ari putting his nephew before their mission...which lhad ed to Miko's intense humiliation and the defiant nature in his men.

'This is all his fault! For if he did not exist, I would be the most renown Terrorist in the world! People would fear me; they would shudder at the mere mention of me!' Miko growled and eyed Ziva with distaste.

'But no matter...I can still finish this' He smirked and removed the knife from where it had been touching Nathan's throat. Within one tragic second the boy cried out as the sharp blade pierced through his side and his knees buckled but Miko no longer had any grip on him.

'I created this kidnapping to cause him pain and you loss...but now he is no more, I have reclaimed-' Miko never got to finish his declaration of pride when he hit the floor harder than Nathan had. Ziva fired three rounds through his skull and than rushed to her son's side...where a lot of blood was leaking from his small and unnaturally still form.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry this chapter was a bit short but I'll update quite soon. Please review and let me know what you thought because it's the reviews that make me update :P.**

**-Mel**


	44. Where it Hurts the Most

**Author's Notes:** I would like to personally thank each of my reviewers but I am unable to see all of my reviews together so I cannot recall each and every name, sorry. But thanks everyone so much and I shall answer any questions as soon as I can. And thanks **immirose** once again for keeping me in such a mood for this fic, hehe the writing is really coming along!

This chapter was meant to be as very emotional one and I put a lot of work into it, please let me know what you think after you've read it!**

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**Chapter forty-four: Where it hurts the most**

It was as though she had been teleported from the house to the emergency room of the nearest hospital, because to Ziva one second she was there and than she was someplace else. She had no memory of leaving her son's side nor the ride in the ambulance with him. Not that it mattered because her entire world was already spinning as doctors and nurses took her son away into the emergency theater.

It also felt like Ziva had mixed a hundred drugs together and they were all affecting her a different way. She could not feel, not even the dampness of her son's blood all over her clothes or the cold wall she was leaning against near the waiting room doorway. She could not near the sounds around her or make out anything apart from the voices that surrounded her, she couldn't see either as it was all a blur yet also seemed to be going in slow motion and ultra speed at the same time. Her mind wasn't making any sense and she was unable to think...all Ziva could take in was the little video of her son being stabbed that played itself over and over in her head.

--

Tony arrived not long after he'd received the call and broke almost every traffic law in the country to reach the hospital. When he arrived his mind was all over the place as he tried to work out how to react and what to feel about what had happened and what could follow.

The first thing he saw was Ziva as she stood leaning against a doorway covered in blood, but he knew it wasn't her blood. Oxygen caught in his throat for a moment as it was quite a lot of blood that stained and soaked her clothes. He shoved those thoughts aside the moment he realized that Ziva wasn't crying but looked stunned as she stared into nowhere. She was shaking and as he reached out to her he was shocked to find that she actually felt very cold.

The moment she felt Tony's touch...the film in her mind stopped playing and she stared into the green that was his eyes while reaching to him just as he reached to her.

Gibbs wasn't far behind but he kept his distance when the couple hugged although neither cried or even released anything since they were probably still in shock; they just held each other.

--

As an hour passed on, Tony and Ziva sat in the waiting room alone. There was no news at that point and everyone was too busy to sit with them although Gibbs had called everyone once in a while even if they had no news.

Two more hours went by and soon the waiting room became very empty and somehow darker but still the pair sat, lost in their own fears and thoughts. Gibbs had reluctantly left to take care of some business so the grieving and paranoid parents were left alone once again.

After three hours and still no news, the moment a familiar doctor walked past...Tony took action.

'Hey, doc' Tony said and found his voice was hoarse so he cleared his throat and continued while he attempted to sound firmer. 'Um...is there any news on Nathan?'

'I'm sorry...he's still in surgery' The elderly doctor replied.

'You know...nothing?' Tony frowned as he tried to keep his voice from shaking due to all the clashing nerves and worry.

'I understand that what you're going through it is hard...' The doctor went to say but Tony lost all his contained emotions and patience right then.

'Really?' Tony asked angrily and ignored those that turned to stare at him.

'You understand what we're going through? Is that your son in there?!' His tone increased but Ziva didn't even notice as she sat motionless and unresponsive in a chair a few rows behind him. Tony than went quiet as he realized that he'd called Nathan his son aloud but as he took a moment to breathe, the doctor muttered something and walked away.

Tony didn't know what to do or say so he just sank back into the seat on Ziva's right and rubbed her leg a little, but still she didn't seem to notice.

'Tony!' A female voice called out to him frantically and as he looked up he saw Abby rushed towards him on her high heels.

'Oh my god!' She gasped and bent over to give him a hug and than Ziva.

'Is he okay?' Abby asked and looked around the room as though she was expecting to see Nathan sitting somewhere with a band-aid or perhaps a large sign that detailed his condition and when he was coming home.

'I don't know' Tony replied and his hoarse tone returned as he once again fought back his emotions and considered them to be offending disruptions.

'W-what are you doing here?' He attempted to change the topic as he looked up at her again.

'Work can wait' Abby said while she dismissed his question and she couldn't see much more to do other than take the vacant seat beside Tony.

'Is she okay?' Abby finally noticed the way in which Ziva was sitting rather lifeless although that fact was only contradicted by her blinking and breathing.

'She hasn't said a word' Tony sighed heavily and leaned forward to rest his head in his hands; showing every sign of a man who was enduring too much than he could handle at once.

'Any news?' Another voice asked and Tony was surprised to see Gibbs, McGee and Ducky approaching them as a group while they each had similar sympathetic expressions.

'No' Tony replied even if he did not recall making the decision to talk.

'Nothing' He said again and sounded as defeat as he looked. But that was nothing to how he was feeling, even as he tried desperately to shove all of his emotions and paranoia from his mind and just focus on waiting for good news.

'Give it time' Gibbs said with a nod and sat beside McGee as he took the seat next to Abby. 'He'll come through'.

'Absolutely' Ducky agreed when he sat beside Ziva, giving her a light pat on the shoulder as he spoke. 'He has Ziva's genes...no injury will keep him down'.

'Yeah' Abby agreed in her best attempts to to cheer Tony and Ziva up.

'He'll be better before you know it and asking you to watch movies with him or to play with him' She nodded.

'Just you wait...he'll be fine' But even as she said it, Abby did not look too convinced of her own words and gripped McGee's hand for comfort but otherwise tried really hard not to express any doubt.

* * *

By midnight Ziva still hadn't moved or spoken. Jenny joined their worried and waiting group but said nothing as she sat beside Gibbs, at the last seat in the row.

Still they waited, until Gibbs tried to keep everyone calm and rational...he offered to get them some coffee but no one seemed thirsty. He sighed and went to find some but was surprised when a voice called out to him.

'Wait up, boss' Tony croaked and moved quickly to catch up for he felt that he just needed to move away from the quiet row of worry back there. So the two men went on a coffee and information hunt while the others shifted slightly in their chairs (apart from Ziva) and weren't sure what else to do about the situation other than wait.

'Ziva?' Jenny moved to occupy Tony's seat and put an arm around her friend, trying to pull her out of her own transfixed mind.

'Can you hear me?' She asked and shook Ziva slightly but got no response. 'He will be okay' Jenny said and Ziva bit her lip at those words, which soon turned into a sniffle.

Before long, Ziva was crying against Jenny as the woman comforted her. After ten minutes of tears, Ziva straightened up and headed to the bathroom with Abby for company as she wanted to wash her face.

--

2:00am arrived and still everyone sat there waiting. The only sounds were the usual hospital noises, Gibbs complaining about the coffee or Abby trying to convince everyone that Nathan was going to be fine. Surprisingly, even Ducky was rather silent.

But that all changed when a doctor walked towards them and stood in front of Tony and Ziva while clutching a clipboard everyone quickly noticed the apprehensive look upon his face as though he was trying to delay information.

'I see you're still here?' He asked and seemed surprised as he stared at the group.

'Of course we're still here!' Tony jumped up angrily. 'What, you think we'd just abandon him or-'

'Tony!' Ziva's voice surprised him as she stood up beside him and elbowed his ribs sharply before demanding answers from the doctor that had just introduced himself as Dr Lenny Jaynes.

'I did not mean to imply...' Dr Jaynes went to say but noticed the look on Ziva's face and got straight to the point.

'Nathan has come out of surgery. The knife went through his side, missing most organs but was lodged in a very unsafe place for the moment and it was good that it was pulled out but the damage had been done' He explained, making Abby gasp and Ziva looked rather pale while Tony felt very numb.

'It was pure miracle that he even made it to the ER alive' The doctor continued slowly to allow them time to take it all in.

'We had to bring him back several times during the surgery but we did all we could and now the rest is up to Nathan' He finished and waited for the questions that were bound to come, but no one was able to say anything so he went on.

'He has been moved to the ICU and is currently unable to breathe on his own and we put him in an induced coma for precaution'.

'Can we see him?' Abby asked as she moved closer to McGee.

'Not yet, he is still-' The doctor went to say but Ziva's harsh reply cut him off as she threatened bodily harm if she did not see her son. He further denied her the right so she simply shoved past him with enough force to kill him had he made contact with anything sharper than the edge of the counter he had bumped into.

'Are you the boy's father?' The doctor asked and he'd recovered quickly when Tony followed after Ziva.

'Yes!' He called back over his shoulder and rounded the corner while he wondered how Ziva knew where to go.

'No one else can go in just yet' The doctor added to the rest and they stayed, not by choice but because in some way each of them knew that this was not their moment...it was Tony and Ziva's.

--

Ziva stood staring through the glass doors at the still figure that she hardly recognized to be her little boy. He was deathly pale, hooked up to numerous machines and just so...hurt.

She covered her mouth as more sobs came, but this time it was Tony that embraced her and held her close as he too was horrified and numb by what he saw, although he knew that he had to take care of Ziva.

'I wish this was just a nightmare' Tony sniffed and pulled Ziva closer as they stared at their son, the boy that was such a gift to them...an innocent boy they prayed so hard that they weren't about to lose.

The boy Tony was staring at had once been so bright and full of life, even after everything that he had been through. He had so much of his mother in him while still being a totally unique person. Tony would even go as far as saying the boy reminded him of himself at times too.

But Nathan wasn't making jokes now or asking questions, he wasn't cuddling up to him in fear of storms or separation...he was laying alone in a hospital bed with his entire but unfinished life hanging in the balance. He was eight years old and a good kid but already his life was in great jeopardy.

Nathan had done nothing wrong, he didn't deserve to be caught in the middle of something that wasn't even close to being his fault...and yet there he lay _because one man had played God._

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**A/N: Please let me know what you thought of this chapter!!**

**-Mel**


	45. A Sleeping Child

**Author's Notes:** Hey, found a way to see my reviews again, finally. So Thanks to **Ziny-dinnozzo, dreamerchild88, cyn23, sbteja** (I can't tell you much involving Nathan just yet, but yes he really was stabbed), **ncisislikecupcakes** (haham, yes Ziva genes might be a major contributor to Nathan hanging in there so far), **ovidius, bluestriker666, ginnypotterthe7th, gsr4ever** and **immirose** (Thanks for your lovely review! I'm glad it felt like you were there with them because that's what I was hoping to achieve. I am most proud of this chapter. So thansk again and I'll try to catch you online again!).**

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**Chapter forty-five: A sleeping child**

For two days Nathan remained in the coma, with no change or indication as to if he should be taken out of it...if his body would cope or shut down altogether. Ziva had gone back to work because she was unable to see her son in such a state anymore, although she was unable to respond, think or even work properly. Tony was at the hospital more than she was but he took to working as a way of keep himself sane as well. They'd both been told to go home several times but Ziva always refused.

'Are you hungry?' Tony asked Ziva as lunchtime passed by and she hadn't moved from her desk.

'No' she replied without glancing up from her files.

'Thirsty?' He tried again and was doing his best to take care of her but he was getting nowhere since she didn't even answer.

'Okay' He nodded with a defeated sigh. Tony wasn't sure what else to do as he simply could not focus on his work anymore or get through to Ziva, so he got to his feet and headed to the bathroom.

It was empty, much to his relief...but it also gave him time to pause and think about how he was coping. His every thought or action was gestured towards Ziva or Nathan that more than often he forgot to think of himself.

Tony leaned on a sink and stared at his reflection. He tried to keep his emotions under control but his anger and grief was straining him too much. He turned away from the mirror and paced the room slowly. Before he was aware of it, Tony punched a cubicle door and it rebounded against the side of the cubicle with a loud _crash._

He turned and punched the mirror next as it showed a pained, helpless reflection of himself. But the collision of fist and glass seemed to wake him up and a sharp pain seared through his hand and than his entire body. It was a messed up situation as part of Tony regretted punching the mirror whilst another part felt relieved to feel something other than numbness.

--

Gibbs returned to the office and noticed that Tony was nowhere to be seen. He hadn't gone for food, as he learned when he questioned McGee but he hadn't gone to the hospital either. Gibbs glanced at Ziva to see her working away like a robot - unemotional and with such focus - but it was Tony that Gibbs worried about most.

He checked the labs but his senior agent wasn't there either. Gibbs tried bathrooms and conference rooms but all he found was one with a shattered mirror...until he put that description together and headed down to the morgue.

As he'd hoped not to find...there was Tony getting his hand bandaged by Ducky and it looked quite cut-up too.

'DiNozzo!' Gibbs growled and head-slapped him to his senses.

'Moment of weakness, boss' Tony mumbled but his heart wasn't anywhere near in it and he didn't really care if he was in trouble or not.

'Go home or to the hospital, I don't care...but take Ziva with you' Gibbs said without giving Tony time to object.

'You're both no good here'.

--

'This is so wrong' Eva said as she shared at Nathan from the same spot that Tony and Ziva stood no less than two days ago.

'A child should not look like that...in a place like this' She sniffed but bit her lip to prevent tears from falling.

'I know' Spencer replied and draped an arm around her shoulders. 'But we can't change it'.

'It's our fault he's even like this' Eva frowned.

'I thought I could handle it...but I can't' She sniffled again but continuously refused to cry. 'It's not even my kid!' Eva laughed slightly at herself.

Spencer glanced away from Nathan and sighed. 'Does it remind you of Marcia?' He wondered softly and she turned to look at him in surprise for it was the first time since their daughter had died that he'd ever brought the subject up willingly.

'Yes' Eva sighed. 'Only she never made it to the hospital...Nathan still has a chance'.

'Yeah' Spencer said with a light nod. 'Come on, leave it and let's go'.

'You are right' Eva said although her next words didn't refer to anything that was taking place in the hospital.

'It is time for us to leave'.

* * *

Ziva and Tony arrived to the hospital and no one tried to stop them from seeing Nathan the moment they recognized Ziva.

'Oh sir...I think your hand needs proper attention' A nurse had noticed his cut and lightly bandaged hand, which worked like a shock to Ziva and for the first time since her son had been stabbed in front of her...she snapped out of her trance.

'Does it hurt?' The nurse wondered even though Tony tried to get away from her, but the dread of seeing Nathan lying so still again wasn't very appealing and it was the only reason she was able to fuss with his hand.

'A bit' He shrugged but winced loudly when she touched his wound.

'Tony?' Ziva gasped and approached with a look of deep concern. 'What happened?'

'Nothing, just...had a disagreement with a mirror' Tony replied while the nurse attended to his hand and Ziva leaned against his side softly.

'I am sorry' Ziva said, even though he didn't know what she was sorry for. But she now knew that disappearing into a void of silence and internal blame wasn't making her feeling any better but it was also affecting those around her...like Tony.

--

Not long after the nurse had attended to Tony's injured hand, the pair were allowed to go into the room with Nathan and they just sat in seats by his bed.

'Hey kiddo' Tony gulped and felt he should say something even if it was unlikely that the boy could hear him.

'You can get through this' Ziva added and wanted to hold his hand but feared how cold it may be. The nurse had informed them that Nathan had recently been taken out of the coma but he was yet to wake up and was under very close supervision.

'Where are you going?' Tony wondered as Ziva suddenly left her seat and strode towards the door.

'To torture information from a doctor' Ziva replied so bluntly that Tony almost found it amusing.

'She'll be back soon' Tony spoke to Nathan again and still found the stillness of the boy to be very disturbing. He stared at him for a few minutes until he could have sworn he'd seen Nathan's finger move. But Tony figured that he'd imagined it and kept telling himself that he was just being hopeful.

* * *

Gibbs had left the office to find Tony but soon came back alone and it wasn't long before he left again. McGee sat at his desk and made sure his work was finish although he felt utterly miserable. He was probably the one that knew Nathan the least and it hadn't bothered him too much as compared to Ziva, Tony, Abby and Gibbs...McGee felt that Nathan would probably get bored of him quickly. But now he regretted not getting to know the boy more, he was Ziva's son after all and Ziva was his friend.

But that wasn't why McGee was miserable. Part of it was worry for Nathan and deepest sympathy for what Tony and Ziva must be going for but another part was involved with Abby. He couldn't stop thinking back to how she'd reached out to him for comfort so often during their time in the hospital waiting room and he accompanied her to every visit to see Nathan. He wondered how she was coping without him right now, not that she wasn't able to take care of herself...but he was just worried.

Deciding that Gibbs had left for the time being and his work was done, McGee left his desk and headed to the labs for he was unable to sit there and wonder in suspense...he just had to know how Abby was handling things.

At first he thought the lab was silent with the lack of music but than saw Abby sitting at her desk and staring at the computer screen as she typed up what appeared to be an evidence report.

'Abs?' McGee asked, now feeling rather stupid for coming to check on her when she seemed rather okay.

'McGee!' Abby jumped up as she spotted him and rushed right over, wrapping her arms around his neck in an embrace, which he returned.

'Thank God you're here, I have been going out of my mind' Abby sniffed and hugged tighter.

'At first I was so scared that Nathan wasn't going to be okay and than I got sad when I thought of how bad Tony and Ziva must be handling it. I mean if I feel this terrible, than just imagine what his parents are going through. And don't say Tony's not his father because he is, I mean not by blood but...you know?' Abby pulled back but her arms remained on his shoulders as she stared at him.

'Are you okay?' McGee asked and hoped he could cheer Abby up as seeing her in such a depressed state made him feel even worst.

'Well I tried to drown the sadness and worry in caffeine but when that didn't work I tried to finish some of my reports but...how can I work while Nathan is lying in a hospital bed fighting for his life?' Abby asked loudly as she turned to walk away from McGee altogether.

'Am I some sort of selfish, horrible person or...or do I not care about what has happened to him?' She sounded angry but McGee knew she wasn't any of the things she'd called herself.

'Abby, you know that's not true. You care about Nathan almost as much as Tony and Ziva' McGee told her as he followed her back to her desk.

'Than why do I feel so guilty?' Abby sighed and pouted slightly as she slumped in her chair.

'Because you're a good person' McGee replied.

'And how are you holding up?' Abby wondered as she turned the conversation around.

'It's hard' McGee admitted with a small shrug as he stared at the lab floor for a moment.

'I know' Abby said as she stood up and embraced McGee again.

'Thanks for checking up on me Tim' She whispered into his ear and smiled slightly as she lost herself to his warmth.

But they were not the only ones having trouble with focus and sadness apart from Nathan's parents. Gibbs had to stay strong for his team, his family...but who could he go to for comfort? No one, not really. He was the protector, he was the leader...he could not afford to take a breath and feel the pain he felt for Nathan that was only rivaled by the pain he felt when he'd lost his own daughter, Kelly.

Although there was one person that would be able to see through his facade, even if she wouldn't openly admit it at first. But it just so happened that while he was trying to keep up a brave front...she was seeking him out as her thoughts and troubles were making her own work difficult...and she was the Director of NCIS.

'Jethro?' Jenny asked as she finally found him leaving MTAC.

'Jen' Gibbs replied and turned to lean on the rail that overlooked his empty squad room.

'Any news on Nathan?' She asked calmly even though what she was feeling was far from calm.

'No' Gibbs said and glanced at her. 'But you already know that'.

'I was merely-' Jenny started to say but he beat her to the chase.

'You were making small talk, Jen' Gibbs replied and paused for a moment before continuing. 'How does the Director of NCIS handle such a situation?'

'I give my sympathies to the family, do regular checks on the boy's condition...but I can't be involved as I have an entire agency to run' Jenny replied. 'Even if I don't want to' She sighed.

'And how would normal person handle this situation?' Gibbs asked and stared at her, studying the reaction in her eyes. 'Jen, how are you really handling it?'

'Are you worried about me?' Jenny asked and looked a little hopeful but also curious.

'Should I be?' Gibbs replied and straightened up when Jenny lowered her gaze away from him. 'Nathan will be fine, he's a tough kid'.

'I know' Jenny said. 'But it's still a tragedy...it's still heartbreaking that this has happened to a child his age and he's such a good kid, Jethro' She swallowed hard and tried not to cry, not just because of what had happened but also because she could only imagine what her friend Ziva and even Tony would be going through...knowing it would be a thousand times worst than what she was feeling.

'Hey, shh' Gibbs saw her tears and placed a hand on her shoulder to pull her towards him, giving her a sideways half-hug until her sniffles and tears subsided.

'Sorry' Jenny laughed at her stupidity for a moment and wiped her eyes. 'I just...'

'You're upset' Gibbs shrugged.

'And you know I'll always be here for you Jen, even if you don't want me to' He smirked and it encouraged a small smile from her.

'Thank you' Jenny said but knew she had to get back to work.

'Any time' Gibbs shrugged and looked back over at his office as though nothing had happened even though he felt a little relieved as well. But he still had to stay strong for everyone else.

--

And as everyone assumed...Tony and Ziva were feeling the worst in the situation of their son laying in a hospital bed and fighting for his life. There was nothing they could do about it and at times it made them feel even more pained. But there was still hope and they prayed for Nathan to pull through, to be okay. Sometimes it was too hard but they had each other and always pulled back into a state of acceptance and anxiety but without the sinking feelings or distraught.

It was later that night and the stress of the day had passed slightly as the couple sat in chairs near Nathan's bed but they had drifted to sleep from emotional exhaustion. Tony had his head leaning back slightly while Ziva had fallen to lean against him and used his shoulder as his pillow.

Unbeknown to the pair though, the little boy that had been stabbed and than undergone intense surgery was becoming more aware of his subconsciousness and for a moment his eyelids flickered open long enough to see his mother and father asleep together nearby before dizziness overcame him and he fell back asleep.

'Mhm?' Tony grumbled but was rather startled when machines beeped and nurses ran into the room. He sat upright, ignoring his aching and stiff neck to watch the scene while Ziva jumped to her feet nervously.

'What's going on?' Tony asked worriedly. 'Doc?'

'Answer us!' Ziva growled.

'He regained consciousness for just a moment' Dr Jaynes told them.

'Well...that's good, right?' Tony checked as he looked past the doctor and the nurses that were crowding around the bed to see Nathan laying there as still as usual but somehow he looked less depressing in light of the change.

'Very good' Dr Jaynes smiled and Ziva breathed in relief without realizing that she'd been holding her breath. 'We now have a good reason to believe that Nathan should wake up soon'.

* * *

**A/N: Yes the tibby/mcabby and the jibbs will be progressingly somewhat more. Hope y'all like and that they're all in character. Nathan's fate will be relatively revealed next chapter. As for Spencer and Eva, they are indeed leaving this fic for a little while but I promise you on the life of my fic...THEY WILL BE BACK! And in style :P.**

**Anyway, thank-you to my readers and please review...it makes this fic better, motivates me and also brings about faster updates.**

**-Mel :)**


	46. Happier Moments

**Author's Notes:** Thanks to my reviewers: **mikeyjoe512** (thank-you),** cyn23, bluestriker666, jen-ncis-lover, ncishouselover, gsr4ever, ginnypotterthe7th, ncisislikecupcakes** as well as **sbteja** (True, Nathan is a primary plot but that doesn't mean the story won't work without him, although I won't be killing him off anytime soon or even ever, I too adore him :P. Thanks for all your comments! Yes later it will be revealed about what happened with Eva and Spencer's daughter Marcia. Nathan's middle name may be revealed one day..) and **immirose **(-of course! Thanks sooo much for your comments, I wish I could use all this space to answer them but I think everyone wants to move on to the actual chapter lol. Thanks heaps though!).

**Since this is published on the one day a year that I ADORE to no end..._Happy Halloween_ everyone!! As a treat, I shall update very soon, perhaps even in like 1 or 2 days! Depends on reviews. Trick or treat?

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Chapter forty-six: Happier moments**

_"What's going on?"_ A voice spoke, but Nathan couldn't make out whose it was...although it sounded very familiar. "_Doc?"_

Where was he? Nathan could hear sounds, something being rushed and busy...but he had no idea what it was or who was making the strange noise.

_"Answer us!"_ Wait, he did know that voice! Was it his mother? But than was the other voice his father?

Trying to make out the sounds and his surroundings just hurt Nathan's head and then everything started to fade. No! He wanted to cry out, he wanted to let them know he was there...but for some reason he could not. His body was too weak and uncontrollable, his voice had no volume and before long he couldn't even hear as darkness swallowed him and it all faded away completely.

It wasn't until the following morning that Nathan became aware of his surroundings again, although it seemed like only minutes to him. The first thing he noticed was the sun in his eyes; even if they were closed, the light seemed to reach him. Then he heard a voice...his mother's voice.

Determination to reach his parents pushed Nathan to ignore a strange throbbing that was pulsing through his body and he was able to force his eyes open. He shut them again right away as the light hurt his eyes and the sounds grew louder. Nathan took a breath and carefully opened his eyes again to look around, seeing that he was in some sort of hospital room.

'Ziva!' Tony grabbed her arm lightly to get her attention when he saw Nathan's eyes open slowly.

Ziva stopped threatening a nurse and turned towards her son, seeing his eyes wandering around the room in confusion. He looked a bit groggy but otherwise relatively okay considering what he'd been through.

'Nathan!' Ziva rushed to his side and gripped his hand softly as Tony joined her.

'I...where...' He winced and decided to wait for his senses and all feeling to come back but that soon proved a fatal mistake as a huge wave of pain surged through him and made him scream out in agony.

'It's okay, Nathan' Dr Jaynes said as he came into the room.

'It is not okay!' Ziva growled at him venomously. 'Did you not give him any painkillers?'

'It would only delay his awakening' The doctor explained.

'But now that he is awake we can give him some'. He turned to give some orders to the nurse and than moved to check the charts.

'M-Mommy!' Nathan sobbed through the pain. 'D-daddy!' He pleaded, not understanding what was going on or why he was in so much pain. 'What...?'

'Shh, it's okay kiddo' Tony held Nathan's hand that Ziva had dropped when she'd yelled at the doctor.

'You're at a hospital. Do you remember what happened?'

'No!' Nathan said loudly and tried to contain his yells but the nurses were working on his painkillers right away.

'Where...is it coming f-from?'

'Your stomach' Ziva replied. 'You were stabbed'.

Nathan skipped a breath for a moment and reached for his stomach but Ziva grabbed his free hand to stop him from inflicting further pain.

'You gave us all quite a scare' Tony added, trying to talk Nathan's mind away from the pain the best he could...and he felt glad in knowing that he could finally do something without having to just sit and wait anxiously.

'S-sorry' Nathan gulped.

'It's alright' Tony replied quickly. 'We're just very glad you're okay'.

'I don't f-feel okay- Nathan sniffled but the pain was fading now and his head felt much less foggy.

'Who...who did t-this?'

'Do not worry. He will not be hurting anyone again' Ziva said calmly, which was the calmest she'd felt in almost four days.

'You're very brave' Tony said enthusiastically.

'Can you give me a high five? Just to make sure you're really with us?' He asked and released Nathan's hand before holding up his own.

Nathan moved the fingers in his left hand before figuring out how to move his arm again and rose it up to give Tony a high-five. Even if it was rather weak...to Tony, it felt like the greatest feeling in the world.

'Oh! There we go!' Tony grinned and let out a short laugh, mostly in relief and in an effort to make Nathan feel better as well as stronger and hopefully happier.

The doctor and nurses soon cleared the room and Ziva walked around to stand on Nathan's right side, gripping his hand as Tony took the other into his own hands as well.

'Can you tell me...what happened?' Nathan asked and found that there was more strength in his voice.

'Well...you were kidnapped again' Tony explained while he ignored Ziva's slightly disapproving glance but she just kissed her son's hand over and over while he spoke.

'And there was a bit of a struggle as your mom came to save you, all superwoman ninja style. I wasn't there but apparently the bad guy didn't want to admit defeat and he stabbed you as it was the best way to hurt us...but you're too tough for him' Tony added.

'You have no idea how glad I am...' He trailed off and leaned forward to kiss the boy's forehead, which surprised Ziva but Nathan smiled at the touch and closed his eyes for a moment of peace and relief.

'Nathan?' Tony asked and felt a bit panicked when the boy closed his eyes.

'He is fine' Ziva smiled and kissed her son's hand some more.

'I did not know...' She glanced at Nathan's forehead and Tony knew she was rather surprised by the fact that he'd kissed the boy.

'He's my son' Tony shrugged. 'I've never been a father before...I'm so glad he's okay'.

'Me too' Ziva smiled.

'As am I' A voice spoke from the doorway behind them and both adults were rather shocked to see Eli David standing there.

'Father?' Ziva gasped. 'What are you...?'

'Am I not permitted to see my own grandson?' Eli frowned and his aggravation was obvious.

'Since you are not answering any of my calls Ziva, I had to come in person to check up on the young boy' He stated and than gestured for a private word and Ziva looked at her son longingly; unsure if to leave his side for even a second.

'Go, I'll stay with him' Tony encouraged because even he knew that Eli David coming all this way just to check up on Nathan was a really big deal.

Ziva nodded and kissed Nathan's forehead. 'I will be right back' she said and he nodded while keeping his eyes closed.

'I am...surprised, that you did not send someone' She stated her shock to the situation of her father coming to America personally. But her son was awake now, so really...nothing else mattered to her at the moment, only slight curiosity.

'He is family' Eli replied shortly.

'Ziva...I must know' He said and looked past her to where Tony was talking to Nathan and moving some hair from his face.

'Do you really love this DiNozzo?' He glanced back at his daughter and studied her expression intensely but it was his turn to be alarmed when he saw the truth in her eyes.

'I do' She replied without much consideration.

'It did take some time to realize, but I do...with all my heart' Ziva admitted boldly.

Eli nodded and looked away and reached a decision as he spoke again. 'I will not recall you back to Mossad unless I feel it to be absolutely necessary'.

'For that, I thank you' Ziva smiled.

'We are also looking for Eva Jose but she and her partner Spencer Wright have apparently vanished off the grid' Eli stated and Ziva lowered her gaze slightly, remembering a letter she'd found near her son's pillow the day before...

--

_Ziva,_

_I still hate you and one day I will find you and we will settle things between us. But seeing Nathan like this has made me remember my little girl Marcia in a way I did not want to and had prayed to forget. When they found her body...the pain I went through was indescribable and even though I had Spencer, it soon became too much. Our sweet Marcia died one year before I left Mossad as I could no longer focus on the job I once loved. She would have been nine, nearing ten by now...had she lived and had I been able to save her in time._

_I would say that I am sorry for taking your son but I am not. I am however, glad that you got him back because for a mother to lose a child forever is truly something one person cannot go through without being so wrongly damaged._

_I will not pay for my crimes but we are leaving the country in peace, perhaps one day we shall meet again but for your sake I hope not._

_Please teach Nathan the goodness in the world even if it is not the goodness in the people such as myself. And consider yourself lucky; a child brings about joy... the loss of one brings nothing but a world of pain and hatred.._

_Your non-friend but nonthreatening accomplice,_

_Eva_

--

'I must get back to my son' Ziva told her father while hiding the gratefulness she felt for Eva and Spencer's decision to leave them be and their departure from America.

'And I Mossad' Eli nodded.

'Good luck' he added and left while Ziva went back to her family, kissing Nathan's hand again even though he seemed to have fallen into a calm sleep. Eva was right though, she should consider herself lucky. She may not have been able to prevent her son's pain but he had survived; he had come back to her once again. In a way, Ziva almost forgave Eva because losing a child forever would have been unbearable to handle.

* * *

It was mid-morning the following day when Nathan awoke properly and was actually able to move this time. He sat upright and saw that his parents were already there, sitting nearby talking about something he couldn't hear clearly.

'Morning' He mumbled and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

'Good morning, Nathan' Ziva smiled and approached the bedside.

'Have a good sleep?' Tony asked.

'Yeah' Nathan nodded. 'I'm a bit hungry' He noticed.

'I do not wonder' Ziva said as it had been a few days since he'd had a proper meal so she went to hunt down a nurse and rectify the situation.

'Oh, there he is!' Abby squealed in delight as she came into the room and carefully hugged him.

'How are you feeling? Does it hurt?' She looked at his stomach area even if he was covered by the blankets.

'I'm okay, it just itches' Nathan shrugged.

'Hi Agent McGee' He added as he spotted him behind Abby.

'Hey Nathan' McGee smiled and approached the bed. 'Sleep well?'

Nathan nodded in reply and had a nice conversation with the pair until Gibbs and Ducky arrived, followed by Jenny as they'd all heard the news that he was awake and doing quite well.

'Room for two more?' Fornell asked as he too arrived over an hour later with his daughter Emily by his side.

'Tobias?' Gibbs asked in surprise.

'Yeah, we're leaving for a trip tomorrow but I heard Nathan was awake so thought I would drop by' Fornell smiled briefly at Nathan.

'And I brought these' He handed some files to Gibbs and they started talking while Emily left her father's side and approached the bed.

'Hello' She said to Nathan. 'Daddy said you were hurt fighting bad people?' She asked and looked for the injury.

'Yeah...stabbed' Nathan said and Tony tried not to laugh at how shy the boy seemed whilst Emily didn't appear even the slightest bit shy.

'Does it hurt?' Emily wondered curiously.

'A little' Nathan shrugged.

'Come on Em' Fornell said. 'We've got some packing to do and I'm sure Nathan needs his rest'.

'Okay daddy' Emily smiled. 'Bye Nathan...get better soon!' She waved and ran after her father.

'Um...thanks?' Nathan said and sighed in relief but then felt a bit sad as everyone had to leave and get back to work. Although he knew his parents were staying...Ziva had even assured him that the hospital people and security could not force her to leave and he believed her.

'Are you tired?' Tony asked as he seated himself beside the bed after sunset and Ziva had gone to get them some food from a local store since she did not like the vending machine food Tony had brought back last time.

'A bit' Nathan yawned.

'Get some rest kiddo; we're not going anywhere' Tony smiled.

'I know' Nathan replied and lay back on his pillow before he closed his eyes and let a wave of happiness fill inside him.

Despite everything that had happened, he felt really good and relaxed; he was free from kidnap and his parents clearly loved him so much more than he ever realized...and that made him pretty happy.

* * *

**A/N: Treat me to a review please! And again, hope everyone has/had/will have an awesome Halloween!**


	47. Recovery

**Author's Notes:** Thanks to my reviewers: **ginnypotterthe7th** (Loved your comments, ty), **Ovidius, ziny-dinozzo** (glad to hear it, HP7 I mean), **mikeyjoe512, crs529, dallassteele** (Eli is out for the time being involving the fic and as for Tony/Ziva marriage, well that's not in the cards at this point. I am progressingly things evenly and as realistically as I can. May be quite a while yet)**, bluestriker666, jen-ncis-lover, cyn23** and also thanks to **sbteja** (Thanks, lol. Tony/Ziva's relationship was often given the backseat due to the kidnapping case and such, but since Nathan is on the way to getting better and things are being cleared up than there will be more time for them in that department. Rest assured that you will all be reading quite a bit of Tiva onwards!).**

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**

**Chapter forty seven: Recovery**

'Are you sure it's not too soon?' Ziva asked Tony quietly as they entered the hospital about a month later.

'Weren't you the one wanting him home after only a week?' Tony glanced at her.

'And the doctors seem to think he's fit to come home...even Ducky agrees after you dragged him down to double-check, but he's a medical examiner...he knows the dead better than the living' Tony said as he signed some forms before following Ziva towards Nathan's room.

'Okay, but I...' Ziva sighed and rolled her eyes.

'You worry too much, yeah...I know' Tony winked with a teasing tone and pushed open the door but Nathan was laying still in his bed with his eyes closed.

'He is not asleep' Ziva smiled and approached the bed. 'Tony, I think we may have to come back tomorrow if he is too tired'.

Tony noticed her mischievous look upon her face and played along. 'You're right, and the gifts our friends dropped off at home, I suppose Nathan won't want them'.

'No!' Nathan sat upright and opened his eyes. 'I want them!' He saw his parents looks and frowned.

'Hey no fair! You tricked me'.

'We were not the ones pretending to be asleep' Ziva replied and helped him change into proper clothes.

'I haven't worn real clothes in ages' Nathan sighed. 'I'm gonna miss the hospital a little though'.

'Well you will not be coming back' Ziva frowned as the incident involving her son ending up in hospital was something she wasn't sure if she could live through a second time. 'Now come on'.

'Your mom wants to knock out one of the nurse's...we better go before she gets us all in trouble' Tony winked at Nathan.

'Also I have offered to act as your personal horse for the day' He said and turned around so Nathan could climb onto his back.

'More like a donkey' Ziva teased as she gathered Nathan's things and they left.

'Hey!' Tony scowled. 'Take that back'.

'I do not think so' Ziva pushed past him lightly and signed her son out before leading to way to the car.

'I'm driving!' Tony called out while Nathan gripped tighter on his back and found his parents to be very entertaining at times, which was a good thing to remember for the day he was going home.

'That is what you think' Ziva smirked and got into the driver's seat. 'I will not go too fast' She added.

'Do you believe her?' Tony whispered to Nathan.

'Nope' Nathan replied and climbed down to get in the backseat. 'But I can't wait to get home...after all this time!'

--

They arrived home shortly after and Nathan actually enjoyed having Tony carry him inside on his back even if he really didn't need it. There were DVD's set up by Tony for Nathan to watch as he was still a bit sore at times but his wound was mostly healed and the doctors did think it was time he went home. Ziva had taken time off from NCIS to care for her son, although Tony still needed to earn their living...a fact Nathan was very unhappy about but he accepted it as the idea of eating crumbs and cheese for weeks did not appeal to him.

The first night was hardest for Tony rather than Nathan. He and Ziva had really missed Nathan's presence in the house but after two weeks they had to accept it as it could have been a lot worst; at least he would be coming back. And now that Nathan was indeed home, just across the hall and sleeping in his own bed...it was hard.

Ziva was so relieved to have her son home that she'd calmed down and her worry ceased dramatically. Tony watched as she drifted to sleep beside him but he was unable to close his eyes and fall into subconsciousness.

_Nathan was just across the hall, _Tony kept thinking. He was close enough to talk to without having to pick up the phone, he was close enough to touch without breaking traffic laws or evading trucks and annoyed nurses...but at the same time he was still far away. The boy was tired often, he ate less and spoke quieter. Tony hadn't heard his laughter loud and clear in over a month and he couldn't just scoop him up for a hug...which he hadn't wanted to do very often but having nearly lost the boy and than being separated for a month taught him something about how valuable a life can be.

'Your thinking is keeping me awake' Ziva groaned from beside him after another half an hour of him just laying there and staring into the darkened spaces of their bedroom as though he was in a trance.

'You're psychic now?' Tony replied since he couldn't think of anything better to say.

Ziva grunted softly and sat up and moved some hair from her face to stare at him. She knew that he could not withhold his thoughts for long if she just stared at him until he broke.

'Don't do that' Tony sighed and ran a hand over his face. Even though he could not sleep, he was actually rather tired as he had to work extra hard that day in order to get to the hospital in time to pick up Nathan and bring him home.

'Do what?' Ziva asked with undetected hint of fake innocence.

'That...staring...evil Mossad voodoo!' Tony grumbled and glared at her even if it was almost too dark to see his expression.

'I am merely waiting' Ziva shrugged.

'For what?' Tony asked but he knew the answer and was merely trying to avoid giving although they both knew that he would.

'For me to spill the beans? Give in to your...evil methods of extracting information?'

'I hardly consider staring to be evil. My methods could be much more...inhumane' Ziva replied smartly. 'If you prefer I could use them to...'

'I can't sleep' Tony gave in with a huff. 'That's it...simple. Go back to sleep and stop staring at me'.

'It is not simple' Ziva said. 'The fact that you have spent an hour just...thinking, that is incredible. But it is keeping you awake which means it is keeping me awake. What are you thinking about?'

'Right now? What would be the best way to knock you out so I can get some peace?' Tony said but winced as a fist contacted with his arm and it wasn't a light teasing action either; it actually hurt somewhat.

'Tony' Ziva said firmly. 'Is there a problem?'

Tony rolled his eyes and sighed. He was so sure that he was just being stupid but decided to be honest with her before she caused him a great deal bodily harm.

'There is no problem...that's the problem' He told her with an eye-roll for added effect although he forgot that she probably wouldn't notice with the dim light that shone into their bedroom.

'I am not following' Ziva frowned and sounded as confused as she was.

'Nathan is just across the hall' Tony explained with a shrug. 'We don't have to go to any lengths to see him or just talk to him'.

'You missed him?' Ziva tried to guess as she really had no idea what he was trying to say but was determined to figure it out. 'And now that he is home...you're not sure what to do?'

'Yeah' Tony realized how obvious answer was from the moment she'd said. 'Isn't that weird?'

'No' Ziva smiled and placed a hand over his. 'It means you are a good father'.

With a little perspective from Ziva, Tony was able to sleep but had to get up early the following day for work...as much as he wanted to just stay at home and enjoy Nathan's company. Although it did make him much eager to finish work for the day, it also made coming home more enjoyable when he walked through the doors to see Nathan doing something on the couch while Ziva was either with him or preparing dinner.

After a few days Nathan started to lose interest in just watching movies all day and that was how he'd come across an old adventure book that had been lying around. After he'd decided to read it, Nathan found himself enjoying the story a great deal and wanted more books to read...which amused Ziva as she too loved to read and was glad that her son now did as well.

So while Ziva cleaned, Nathan would read...right up until the time when Tony was due home unless they got a particularly difficult or long case. The details and paperwork from the kidnapping case had kept everyone busy for quite some time, which meant it was such a relief for Tony to finally be back working regular cases like any other day of NCIS...with the exception of Ziva not being there and now it appeared rather odd without Nathan around.

--

It had been eight days since Nathan had come home from hospital...Tony had been counting. And while it still felt strange (in a good way) to have him home, he never expected the that boy would change overnight. Normally Tony would walk through the doors and heat up dinner or join them at the table and Nathan would smile and accept a hug but was quiet and still. That night however, was...different.

'Stupid door' Tony grunted as he walked into it with his rush to get out of the rain, but a yell from inside the house certainly made up for that.

'Daddy's home!' Nathan cheered and the door flung open to reveal the bright-faced boy that was now staring up at his father in a much more active and excited way than he had in a long time.

'Hey kiddo, you're certainly looking better' Tony grinned and picked Nathan up carefully to give him a hug of greeting.

'I feel a lot better too' Nathan smiled. 'I don't have to take pain medication anymore either' He said as Ziva approached and gave Tony a kiss before shutting the front door; disapproving of the cold and wet weather.

'I'm glad to hear that' Tony replied as he removed his jacket and hung it up.

'What's for dinner?' He asked Ziva curiously as he sniffed the air and smelt something wonderful coming from the kitchen.

'Roast' Ziva replied and cast a glance into the kitchen before turning to her son.

'Nathan, go wash your hands' She instructed and the boy took off for the stairs but slowed down as he made his way up them. Ziva turned back to Tony and saw him watching the staircase with a mysteriously peaceful expression. 'It is a nice sight, yes?'

'He hasn't been himself' Tony shrugged but glanced away as though he was embarrassed. 'I'm glad he's...' Tony tried to find the right words to explain how it was the greatest sight to see him so active and his cheerful voice along with his laugh were the best sounds in the world.

'Me too' Ziva replied since she knew what he meant.

--

'Daddy!' Nathan greeted Tony at the door again the following afternoon but Tony had a surprise for him this time since he wanted to celebrate his son getting better.

'What's he doing?' Nathan wondered as he tried to see what Tony was doing fiddling with in the backyard while he waited inside just as he'd been firmly instructed.

'You will see' Ziva smiled and placed a hand on her son's head. She knew what Tony was doing as they'd spoken about it the night before.

'Alright, it's done!' Tony called out and Nathan pulled open the back door in anticipation. He ran over to where Tony was standing and a smile formed on his face as he discovered that their large tree now had thick ropes hanging from it and at the end was a hand-made wooden swing.

'Wow, cool!' Nathan grinned and sat on it to try it out while Tony backed away and stood beside Ziva.

'Gibbs?' Ziva questioned as she wondered where he'd gotten the wooden part of the swing from and it had a certain handmade appearance to it.

'Yeah, he stayed up all night I think' Tony said as he watched Nathan rather proudly.

'Think he likes it?'

'Oh, yes' Ziva smiled as she wrapped an arm around his waist. 'I think he loves it'.

'Good' Tony nodded.

'I'm starving' He than realized as it was nearing dinner time but waited a few more minutes before he decided to interrupt Nathan's cautious experimenting with his new swing.

'Hey Nathan! How about some food? We can test the swing out properly tomorrow as it's a weekend'.

'You don't have to work tomorrow?' Nathan jumped off the swing and followed his parents inside the house.

'Not tomorrow' Tony winked. 'Oh and Gibbs has still promised to make your clubhouse...but it may take some time'.

'That's fine. I loved the swing...thanks daddy!' Nathan hugged Tony around the middle until Ziva told him to go wash his hands for dinner.

'So how was NCIS today?' Nathan wondered as they helped themselves to the food that Ziva had so scrumptiously prepared for herself and family.

'Ah, you know? The usual' Tony shrugged as he helped himself to more potatoes.

'Did you get a case?' Nathan continued eagerly and when Tony looked up he noticed an expression on Ziva's face that suggested she missed work. And so he told them.

'Yeah, a missing Navy Sailor' Tony answered in a higher tone as though he was speaking for the dramatic effect.

'Go no strong leads yet but Gibbs' gut is leaning towards the Sailor's friend'.

'Friend's aren't supposed to do that' Nathan frowned.

'He's not a very good friend' Tony replied, since the suspect had stolen from their AWOL sailor as well as cheated with his wife. 'But he's also not a very good liar'.

'A simple case' Ziva commented.

'But the paperwork is the same' Tony sighed.

'I think we're not getting any interesting cases because you're not there...when you're there we need your lie-detector senses, kick-as...um kick-butt attitude and scary methods' Tony told her while being aware of Nathan seated beside him.

'Well it is a good thing that I will be back at work next week' Ziva said and raised her eyebrows in amusement when Tony tried to conceal his interest and enjoyment to that statement.

'Yay! I miss NCIS and Agent Gibbs' Nathan grinned. 'And even Abby! She's scary but nice, and her lab is cool'.

'She misses you very much too' Tony informed him. 'She will probably hug you for a week' He said but laughed at the dreading look on Nathan's face.

* * *

It was later that night and instead of being asleep in their warm, comfortable beds...Ziva and Tony were standing outside Nathan's bedroom door being as quiet as they could possibly could. Tony has his head rested against the wall while he desperately fought off sleep and Ziva decided it was time again and peaked into their son's room.

'He is asleep' She announced and Tony wanted to yell in relief but knew that would just bring them back to square one when Nathan was so excited for going back to NCIS and was unable to sleep.

'Finally' Tony breathed and grabbed Ziva's hand and pulled her to their bedroom before anything else prevented their sleep.

The pair discarded heavier clothing and climbed into bed, feeling relaxed and comfortable almost immediately. But it was as though a curse had been placed on them for while they had been tired waiting outside Nathan's room until he fell asleep...the moment they were able collapse to sleep in their own bed, they no longer felt tired.

Tony groaned when he came to that realization and sighed, rolling over slightly to look at Ziva. 'Are you looking forward to going back to work?' He asked her.

'Yes' Ziva replied. 'Very much' She nodded and smiled at him.

'You did not have to wait outside the room with me' She added since Nathan thought Tony had already gone to bed and only requested his mother...yet Tony had remained outside the room for the entire duration.

'I could not miss an opportunity to watch you in that short nightdress of yours' Tony teased with a grin. 'Besides, we're meant to be in this together, right? So we both suffer while waiting for the boy to fall asleep'.

'A year ago you would not have done that' Ziva noted.

'A year ago I would not get the fortune of seeing you in this nightdress' Tony replied and reached his hand under the blankets but she smacked him away lightly.

'True' Ziva smiled and raised an eyebrow. 'You have changed'.

'Good change or bad?' Tony wondered but he saw some of her expression and guessed that it wasn't too bad a change or else she wouldn't be smiling at him like she was.

'Very good' Ziva said and cuddled closer to him. 'The man who would run from commitment and could not hold a truly decent or serious conversation...and now look. You are even raising a child while in a relationship'.

'I didn't run from commitment' Tony retaliated. 'And what do you mean? I had lots of decent, serious conversations, about James Bond and...' He teased and sighed as he let the playfulness drop.

'Have I really changed that much?'

'You did not notice?' Ziva asked in surprise while running a finger over his jawline.

'Not really' Tony frowned and thought for a moment but his sleepiness began to catch up to him and he let out a long yawn.

'Now I am going to sleep' He announced and reached for the light on the opposite side of the bed, which enabled him to lean over Ziva and give her a passionate kiss before switching the light.

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**A/N: Thanks for reading, please send a review my way as I love them and they really do either motivate me or help with the story...although sometimes they can do both! :) Yes, that was a hint. Hehe. Anyway, please review (just in case I wasn't clear the first time).**

**-Mel**


	48. Is it Really Over?

**Author's notes:** Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers, as always! Here is the next chapter. Don't worry, this fanfic isn't anywhere near done yet and will never be abanoned, real life merely intrudes on my time and inspiration. Thanks, and let me know what you think!**

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**Chapter forty-eight: Is it really over?**

'Come on!' Nathan pleaded in annoyance as he tugged at Tony's sleeve. 'Come on!' He demanded again but still Tony did not move.

'We're waiting' Tony reminded him with a sigh. They were getting ready to head for work the following morning, but Ziva was taking her precious time...as Tony had described it.

'Mama!' Nathan scowled towards the stairs and finally she appeared while expertly juggling her phone, bag and keys.

'Oh no, hand them over' Tony held out his hand for the car keys but she moved right past him without a glance. He was clearly not about to take the keys off her or in any way prevent her from driving to NCIS on her first day back at work.

'I drive or you walk' Ziva threatened when Tony moved his hand to block her entrance into the car.

'Tempting' Tony narrowed his eyes at her before he walked towards the other side of the car and climbed into the passenger seat.

'Move it!' Nathan added from the backseat but retreated at the stern glare cast in his direction by Ziva.

'Fine' He pouted and crossed his arms while resisting the urge to roll his eyes and mutter under his breath.

'He looks like you when he does that' Tony smirked to Ziva as he watched Nathan in the rear-view mirror.

'Not that there is anything wrong with that!' Tony added hastily when Ziva rose her arm as if to hit him but she was actually just readjusting the mirror.

'Do you think Jenny will have the papers ready by now?' Tony asked Ziva on the drive to NCIS. He looked rather nervous and unsure as he asked the question, causing Ziva to glance at him for a moment...which left her about half a second to notice a car steering towards them.

'Yes, I do' Ziva replied casually while swerving to avoid the car which made Tony yell out in alarm.

'Are you having second thoughts?' She than wondered, judging by the way that Tony had been continuously bringing up the topic of their new arrangement.

'Second thoughts? Yes' Tony replied honestly and it surprised her. 'And third and fourth...they all say I'm crazy. But I meant it and I still I want it' Tony shrugged.

'I'll feel better once I sign the papers' He exhaled and winced slightly as a car zoomed past or rather they zoomed past it and missed a collision by mere inches.

'What papers?' Nathan jumped in as he became tuned in to their conversation. He felt confused and worried as to what had Tony nervous.

'Ah...it's a surprise' Tony told the boy without glancing at him or giving anything away.

'And we're here' He added, hoping for the distraction as it was Nathan's first day back at NCIS since he'd been stabbed, while also being Ziva's first day back at work since Nathan had come home from the hospital and needed to be cared for.

'Agent Gibbs!' Nathan grinned and ran towards the elder agent the moment he'd stepped out of the elevator in front of his parents and spotted the boss sitting at his desk.

'Morning Nathan' Gibbs smiled and ruffled the boy's hair. 'It's good to have you back'.

'Did you miss me?' Nathan wondered.

'Oh yeah' Gibbs nodded enthusiastically while McGee watched them and debated on if he should say anything since he had come to the realization that he'd never gotten to know the boy as much as he would have liked to. He'd almost lost his chance but McGee didn't want to make that same mistake twice.

'Good' Nathan replied with a smug smile. 'Because I missed you too'.

'Nice to know' Gibbs said.

'Ah...' McGee spoke and cleared his throat, which unintentionally caught everyone's attention. 'Welcome back, Nathan'.

'Thanks Agent McGee' Nathan replied and approached his desk with a casual smile. 'I missed you too'.

'It was a bit boring without you around' McGee said. He was still unsure of what to say, which had Tony trying not to laugh since he knew what was on McGee's mind involving Nathan, thanks to Abby telling him.

'So um...you're back now?'

'Sure am' Nathan nodded and it didn't skip his notice that McGee was making an effort to talk to him which was new but he went with it as he'd missed everyone and everything involving NCIS.

'And to prove it, I'm gonna go see Abby and Ducky and Jimmy' He smiled while counting the people off with his fingers.

'Who's going to take me?' Nathan than wondered while looking from Gibbs to Ziva and then over to Tony. Normally he would offer to find his way there by himself with the anticipation of an adventure, but he was still rather reluctant to venture out on his own and relatively unprotected. Especially after that had happened that resulted in a long trip to the hospital.

Ziva and Tony glanced at each other and shared a smile before they both turned to look at McGee.

'Ah...' McGee saw everyone (including Gibbs) staring at him oddly but he seemed to picked up on it quickly.

'I could take you, Nathan...I mean, if you want? If you don't mind, I mean' He stuttered and tripped over his own words before settling for an uncertain shrug.

'I don't mind' Nathan said and followed McGee out of the office with a little spring in his step as he truly had missed NCIS dearly.

'You know, McGee is not all that bad with kids' Ziva commented as she watched the pair leave.

'Are you kidding?' Tony laughed in amusement.

'He's a nervous wreck! It should be a medical condition for the amount of uncertainty he has with being around kids' He shook his head. 'Probie has a lot to learn'.

'Much like you did?' Ziva teased and even Gibbs couldn't help but smile at the realization upon Tony's face at her words.

'This is an office...we should be working on things' Tony said quickly and sat down at his desk while picking up his phone and cast Ziva a glare, but she just watched him innocently.

'How is the kidnapping case, boss?' Tony asked and hung up his phone, which brought Ziva out of her amusement and she appeared to be rather interested in getting the answer to Tony's question as well.

'Both bosses are dead' Gibbs informed them. 'All members of the group have either been killed, captured or rushed to emergency. We're still missing Eva Jose and Spencer Wright though; believed to have fled the country'.

'We do not have to worry about them' Ziva assured them with such certainty that neither men wanted to know how she knew that her statement was correct. 'We have no kidnapping case'.

'Only a whole lot of paperwork' Tony sighed with a hint of a groan as he stared at the unnaturally high pile of documents and files stacked atop his desk. Although there was a hint of relief in his features and Ziva seemed quite relaxed although she cast a dreading look at her own stack of pending work.

--

'Okay, I gotta go see Ducky now' Nathan said and tried to squirm his way out of Abby's crushing hug. He'd been with her for over twenty minutes but she was starting to hug him again and it still worried him.

'Do you have to?' Abby asked sadly but nodded and smiled at him. 'Come and visit me again, okay?'

'I will' Nathan nodded. 'And I'll bring a Caf-Pow!'

'Oh, you're good' Abby smirked and narrowed her eyes while nodding suspiciously. She waved as he and McGee left her lab and headed down to the morgue.

'Why did you call Ducky first?' Nathan wondered when they exited the elevator and approached the morgue.

'I had to check he wasn't busy' McGee said, which wasn't really a lie. He didn't want to bring Nathan into the morgue during an autopsy as the boy has been through enough already...plus Ziva would probably murder him ten times over if she found out. And Ziva always found out.

'The man of the hour' Jimmy joked as Nathan walked confidently into the morgue.

'Boy' McGee corrected softly while Nathan approached Ducky. 'Boy, not man...never mind'.

'Hello there my young friend' Ducky smiled down at the boy that looked so much like his mother. 'I can see that you are feeling much better?'

'Heaps better' Nathan replied contently. 'And mama's back at work too, which is good because she was missing daddy' He told them which caused McGee to share a somewhat smug _"I knew it"_ look with Ducky.

'He missed your mom too' McGee added since Tony had been glancing over at Ziva's desk more than ten times an hour for every day she wasn't at work.

'This is a weird place to work' Nathan frowned and looked around the morgue but shrugged it off, much to McGee's relief.

'I had to get stitches and everything!' He than proceeded to tell Ducky and Jimmy what he had done at the hospital since they were _"doctors"_ and presumably understood more of what he was saying.

McGee just hung back and watched Nathan tell his story in detail and with enjoyment. He was not only wishing he had gotten to know the boy better but also that he could understand more of what if felt like for Ziva and Tony to have him in their lives because it was very different to how everyone else felt about Nathan.

--

As Nathan set out to visit everyone at NCIS to prove that he was all better, work in the office went about as per usual. When McGee and Nathan finally returned to the Squad Room, the agent wasn't looking forward to the paperwork sitting on his desk but knew Nathan's parents had a lot more to go through.

'Did Abby hug you for an hour?' Tony wondered as they'd come back later than he'd been expecting.

'Nearly' Nathan nodded and rested his elbows on the desk to stare at Tony's computer screen but couldn't quite figure out the diagrams and records. 'What are you doing?'

'Boring stuff' Tony replied. 'Since all the kidnappers have been caught or taken care of, we have to finish the case with reports on what happened'.

'All of them? They're all in jail, even Eva and Spike?' Nathan turned to his mother for reassurance and than to Gibbs for answers.

'Spike's real name is Spencer and no' Ziva replied honestly, which surprised the others with her bluntness.

'But they are no longer bad but do not worry...you are truly safe now' She told her son and he nodded while still looking slightly unsure.

'Hey, come here' Gibbs gestured Nathan over to his desk and pulled out a black jacket which was actually a specially-made NCIS uniform jacket just like the ones they all wore to crime scenes.

'I think after all your hard work, you should know that even though you're not an NCIS agent just yet...you're still one of us' Gibbs said and helped Nathan put it on.

'Thanks! It's the best!' Nathan grinned and surprised the boss by hugging him around the middle.

'Mama, daddy...look!' He rushed away to show them while Gibbs watched the boy happily but felt an odd sensation that had swelled inside him from being hugged by an eight-year-old; Nathan was about the same height that Kelly had been when Gibbs last saw her all those years ago.

'Oh and Agent Gibbs? My chair is all done now, right?' Nathan wondered, which broke Gibbs out of his mentally staggering trip down memory lane.

'Yes' Gibbs replied. 'All painted and ready for testing' He nodded but his mind was still elsewhere, although Jenny's arrival into the squad room quickly pulled him from the past and back into the present.

'Tony' Jenny said and held out several all-important forms that were concealed inside an official folder 'I believe you requested these?'

'Ah...' Tony looked uncertain for a moment but glanced at Nathan and nodded. 'I did' He replied as he took the forms from Jenny while McGee cast Ziva a questioning look.

'They are the official forms to make Tony Nathan's legal guardian' Ziva explained. After hearing those words...Nathan had lost all interest in his new jacket and painted chair.

'Is a guardian anything like a daddy?' Nathan wondered as he had gotten his hopes up with the words "official" and "Tony" being used in the same sentence.

'Sort of' Tony mumbled and signed the required forms before passing them over for Ziva to sign.

'It does mean that if anything happens than they won't just call your mom, but me as well. That we're in this together' Tony smiled at Nathan while Gibbs sat back down and pondered on how Tony and Ziva had come this far in their relationship in mere weeks whilst he had never come this far when he was married...unless you counted Shannon.

Nathan received a more descriptive explanation of Tony being his guardian from Ziva several minutes later and than went to boast about it happily as he was rather thrilled with the idea.

* * *

It was fair to say that by the end of the day everyone was feeling pretty warm and happy, despite the piles of paperwork and constant, unnecessary visits from Abby just so that she could hug Nathan. And even though it had been a rather good day at work; everyone was looking forward to just going home to relax.

'It's such a relief that the kidnapping case is over' McGee said as he gathered his jacket and shut down his computer.

'I second that' Tony nodded. 'And now we can move forward with our lives' He added while looking over at Ziva as though he was trying to hint something but she wasn't focused in his direction since she was placing Nathan's books into her bag.

'We are ready' Ziva said to Tony and nodded towards Gibbs while raising a hand in goodbye to McGee. 'Goodnight, I will see you tomorrow'.

'Night' McGee replied while Gibbs simply nodded at them.

'Goodnight!' Nathan jumped in as well and followed his parents towards the elevator with McGee soon catching up behind them. But Gibbs remained at his desk and just watched the group laughing together as though the world was once again filled with joy and adventure.

'No' Gibbs said softly to himself and shook his head.

He knew the kidnappers had been caught and Ziva was fiercely confident that Eva and Spencer were no longer a concern, but Gibbs' gut told him the one thing he did not want to know; the one dark shade in such a bright situation...that perhaps it might not be a _"case closed" _just yet.

'I have never seen that movie' Nathan said as he sat comfortably in the backseat of the car with Ziva driving again, much to Tony's dislike but he was rather used to it by now.

'What? Never?' Tony asked in shock.

'Zee-vah, we have a situation...where's the nearest video store?' Tony turned to her with a sense of urgency and determination.

'No' Ziva told him firmly without taking her eyes off the darkened road as they had some previously bad experiences involving driving home at night. Although she was more than just confident that it would no longer be a problem.

'Not tonight. It is late and I am tired' She sighed but smiled at her son through the mirror. 'What would you like for dinner tonight, my love?'

'Roast?' Nathan asked and Tony agreed, which directed their conversation towards groceries and other things that didn't consist of horror or pain; the two things Nathan had enough of for his lifetime.

He sat in the backseat and watched his parents for several minutes until they stopped talking for a brief moment and Nathan seized the chance to jump in with his own questions.

'Mama, are you happy?' He wondered, which caught Tony's attention the most in case he'd missed something and she wasn't.

'Yes' Ziva replied honestly. 'I am very happy'.

'Are you happy, daddy?' Nathan wondered next. He turned to face his father while Tony and Ziva glanced at each other a little suspiciously while wondering what brought on this question.

'I most certainly am' Tony replied. 'What about you?'

'Are you happy Nathan?' Ziva asked as well while avoiding a semi-truck with such skill that she hardly had to look and the darkness around them wasn't the slightest of a problem.

'I am very happy' Nathan grinned while stifling a yawn.

'I have a mother and a father, a home and a great NCIS family...I know that no one will take me away from that anymore and that makes me happy'.

'It's good to hear that' Tony replied while his hand moved to rest on Ziva's leg, because he knew exactly what made him happy.

Ziva glanced at him and smiled, sharing his thread of thoughts as she too felt the same way. Their lives were at a peaceful place now and they really did love each other as a whole. There would be no more panic around every corner or the fear of losing each other tying them together in such a paranoid way...now they were free to only enjoy time together and take a step back to work out where exactly their life was heading.

Because while it is certainly not an ending...they were happy.

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**Author's notes: Just as it said...this isn't the end yet. Gonna do a small time-skip after this chapter though to move things along. Please let me know whatcha think! :) Will update again around a week's time. Good thing I have written so far ahead that for many months I do not need to even write anything more and have y'all waiting too long. I am free to update more frequently again as well. Please review!**

**-Mel**


	49. Time Passes By

**Author's Notes**: I do apologize for not thanking each of my reviewers in person here but I am sick and in a little rush to get this to you. It will be updated more frequently now (once I'm better, of course) and I have begun writing more, although it's still many chapters ahead of this part. Thanks to everyone who supports this fic and stuck with it, also my lovely reviewers that make my day. **

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Chapter forty-nine: Time passes by

Tony, Ziva and Nathan were a family. That much was obvious. And over an entire year later that fact still remained; even as not much had changed apart from Nathan now being over nine-years-old. He still came to the NCIS office every day where he did his schoolwork and used his Ipod to ease away the details of the case.

His parents are still a happy couple, which they have now had more time to establish. Back when Tony and Ziva's relationship was new they were uncertain and confused about feelings while their main focus had to be on Nathan and the kidnapping case. But over the year or so that had changed and they were able to put more into their relationship and their son, which strengthened their bond furthermore, although Gibbs frequently complained about it and grumpily stated that they _"act like a married couple" ..._but no one ever listened to him.

McGee got to know Nathan a bit more but now days a lot of time goes into the writing of his third book...despite the numerous and endless threats upon his life on behalf of everyone he worked with. Although Abby made it clear that Amy and McGregor could never get married or really be together...things were different for Abby and McGee, as they were currently in a similar place that Ziva and Tony were over a year ago; a new relationship. The day they announced it to the public was also the day that everyone noticed Gibbs was drinking more coffee than usual.

'Can I call you Probie?' Nathan wondered as he stood by McGee's desk early afternoon, having gotten bored after finishing his schoolwork and his parents were busy.

'No' McGee replied rather quickly while glaring at Tony because he knew exactly where Nathan had even heard that name for him from.

'McGeek?' Nathan wondered since Tony had once said that he called McGee names as a friendly gesture and McGee really didn't mind too much, so why couldn't he?

'No' McGee said again while trying on concentrate on the background check that was on the computer screen in front of him and not on ideas his mind was formulating on killing Tony.

'Elf Lord?' Nathan asked again, which had already started to get on McGee's nerves.

'You could just call me McGee' He sighed and turned to look at the boy but noticed how Tony was trying not to laugh while he held his phone on hold and Ziva stared at her own computer screen as though she knew nothing of her son's actions.

'McGee is boring and dad calls you much cooler names' Nathan frowned but shrugged.

'I don't see what's wrong with Probie, I mean besides the fact you're not a Probie anymore' He thought aloud while resting his elbows on the desk in boredom while he pondered on his words.

'Maybe that's why' McGee replied and turned back to his computer screen.

'Gear up!' Gibbs announced as he strode into the office and McGee actually felt a moment of relief, until he realized that it meant someone was most likely dead or missing.

'There they go again' Nathan rolled his eyes as the team headed out to the crime scene and he was left behind as usual. He'd had enough of school work and had no idea what to do now that he was alone in the office.

'Bor-ring' Nathan said. He left the squad room and walked over to where the nearest vending machine was and used a trick that Tony had taught him to get a _"free"_ candy bar.

After eating his chocolate, Nathan glanced around to check that no one was going to alert him to Jenny and than pressed the button for the elevator. Thankfully it was empty and he snuck inside while quickly pressing the button for the labs. He tried his best to appear casual but no matter how many times he had done this, he always felt anxious since he had been caught on a few occasions and it had not been fun.

'Hey!' Nathan called out through his cupped hands when he entered the lab he was eager to visit and seconds later Abby turned the music down when she was aware of his arrival.

'Hey Nathan' Abby smiled at him while he waved briefly.

'I take it the team has left?' She wondered as it was nothing new for Nathan to sneak down for a visit when the team left for a crime scene and since no one had escorted him to her lab...she was guessing there was no one in the office to do so.

Nathan also saw her more than Ducky since he'd applied Abby's "Nathan-Alarm" after the boy had discovered Ducky and Jimmy's real job about six months ago and no one wanted him interrupting an autopsy. Although that wasn't an option at that moment since they had most likely left with the team to visit the crime scene.

'Yeah, they left' Nathan sighed as he climbed onto the chair beside Abby and examined her computer for a game that would pass away his boredom.

'Are you meant to be here?' Abby asked curiously with a raised eyebrow.

'Nope' Nathan answered honestly and gave her a short but relatively innocent expression.

'Heh' Abby said and found it humorous but let him stay; she'd never turn him away.

'I challenge thee' She added and pointed to a complicated battling game on her computer.

'Sure, if you think you can beat me' Nathan smirked at her.

'Oh, be careful little soldier...I am a expert forensic scientist and I know to handle anything' Abby replied confidently.

'Yeah? Well my mother was a Mossad assassin and my father a homicide cop' Nathan replied smartly along with an all-too-confident grin that reminded Abby strongly of the latter parent mentioned.

'So even if you killed me...you won't get away with it' Nathan added as he crossed his arms and knew that he was right.

'Good point' Abby nodded after thinking about his words for a moment.

And that was how McGee found them several hours later: playing computer games as though they weren't in a Federal Government office but instead a video arcade that they didn't have to pay to use.

'Oh hey Timmy' Abby smiled when she saw him and approached to see what evidence he'd brought her while Nathan celebrated his victory.

'Hey' McGee smiled back and watched her with an interested expression as she signed the chain of evidence and examined the contents of the boxes he'd brought her to analyze.

'Okay, roger that' Tony nodded and hung up his cell phone before he entered the lab and head-slapped McGee without missing a beat.

'Ow! What was that for?' The younger agent complained.

'Staring at Abby' Tony replied. He always used any excuse he could think of to slap McGee since his reaction was always entertaining and Tony felt that Gibbs didn't slap McGee as much as he should.

'Nathan's here' Abby added and jabbed her thumb towards the other room of the lab where the boy was still typing his name into the high score board with a grin on his face.

'I know' Tony nodded as he peered into the evidence container. 'Otherwise he's been down in the morgue but that is unlikely since we have a case and Ducky was with us. Plus neither he nor Palmer would let him in...your alarm is still working'.

'Only because I can't reach it' Nathan frowned as he approached the group and shoved his hands into the pockets of his army pants.

'Who was it this time? Marine...Sailor?' He asked curiously.

'Marine' Tony sighed and draped an arm around the boy's shoulders casually. 'Now come on kiddo, you know the drill...Abby has work to do'.

'I know, I know' Nathan sighed and followed his father out of the lab.

'Isn't Agent McGee coming?' He than noticed the absence of the other agent and paused to look behind them, but they stood there alone.

'Ah...' Tony glanced back as he was sure McGee wanted an excuse to stay in the lab longer. 'He's...checking something'.

'What?' Nathan asked.

'Did anyone ever tell you that you ask too many questions?' Tony sighed while he pushed the elevator button for their floor.

'Yeah, you...all the time' Nathan smirked up at Tony.

Tony laughed at that but said nothing more as he pushed the boy lightly into the office and seated him at his desk. Afterwards he joined Ziva's side near the plasma screen where she was going over several of the crime scene photos.

'Where's McGee?' Ziva wondered and glanced around for their co-worker.

'Abby' Tony replied and Ziva understood all the details without having to even think about it and simply turned back to the screen.

'Ah, dammit!' Gibbs growled from his seat because it wasn't the first time that McGee was taking longer to leave the labs when he was meant to be doing his job in the squad room with them.

'Not good' Tony winced when he saw Gibbs leaving the office, most likely to find McGee and give him a serious talking-to along with a head-slap. Although Gibbs wasn't gone very long and McGee seemed unharmed when he trailed in behind him and returned to his own desk.

'Just over five months' Nathan announced from Tony's desk as he read a book and the others went over the evidence in search of clues or any indication of who to suspect in their latest case.

'What?' Tony asked and looked up from the file in his hands.

'Until his tenth birthday' Ziva answered for him and Nathan nodded but knew he was interrupting their work and continued to read his book in silence, but Gibbs could tell that he was hanging on to every word they said about the case.

'Agent David' Gibbs called Nathan by his name that he hadn't used in several months.

'Yes, boss?' Nathan asked and glanced up from his book hopefully.

'We have a dead Marine and a missing car. Also three solid fingerprints on the murder weapon and the wife was at work during the crime...what would you suggest we do?' Gibbs asked the boy as he knew how much Nathan wanted to involve himself.

'Um...' Nathan put his book down and approached the plasma screen that showed a photo of the victim in uniform from his service records.

'Imagine you're the boss' Gibbs encouraged while everyone paused to watch the scene in interest.

'Really?' Nathan asked and grabbed his NCIS cap from Tony's desk to put it over his messy hair. He cleared his voice and did his best to act like Gibbs.

'DiNozzo! Put out a BOLO on the missing car' Nathan ordered and Tony tried not to laugh.

'On it' Tony nodded in amusement and turned to type on his computer but he'd already done it...not that Nathan needed to know that.

'Have Abby check the um...database thing for the fingerprints' Nathan added and looked at Ziva.

'McGee, find out if Ducky has anything from his...autopsy' He nodded and McGee really struggled not to laugh.

'Gibbs!' Nathan then rounded on the actual boss with the firmest stare that could muster and placed his hands on his hips.

'Go talk to the wife and find out if she is hiding any secrets' He ordered and was clearly having fun with giving everyone jobs to do. He was also glad that his memory served him well since he had a lot of knowledge about what was involved to solve a case without him actually having to do anything.

'Not bad' Gibbs laughed and patted Nathan's back. 'Not bad at all'.

'Thanks' Nathan smiled proudly. 'I am gonna become a real NCIS agent one day Gibbs, and I'm gonna be better than you!'

'Is that so?' Gibbs asked and found it very amusing but he also had no doubt to truth in the boy's words.

'Yup, I'm gonna be the best NCIS Agent ever!' Nathan announced with a grin but his frown returned a second later as he looked around the room and those occupying it. 'Now get to work!'

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**Author's Notes: Please review, they will really cheer me up! Will update again soon, about a week or so.**


	50. Announcement! :)

I hate announcement chapters, in which serve as an author's note rather than a chapter, but in this case I have to make an exception.

For a long time, this fic has not been updated. Even now, I still get reviews and I promise this has not been abandoned. I have lost access to the main files, which a computer tech may be able to fix but it could take time and money. I fully intent to get the data retrieved, however, it may take a while.

This announcement is giving you, my readers, a choice. For the last two weeks I have really, really wanted to work on this fic. I have a back-up copy, though sadly it only contains what is already uploaded her. I know I wrote at least 11 chapters ahead, and had many plans, especially for a sequel. Those can't be accessed, and my memory is failing me in ways it never did before.

Despite this, I may still continue.

It would be a shame to essentially ignore the chapters I have written, because I put a lot of work into them and I know you will like them, but there is nothing I can do about that right now. If I continue, I will basically be re-writing those chapters and giving up on its contents. I would have to re-plan the entire future of this fic, which I still hope to keep it going for as long as I can. I really love it, and I want to work on it again. In spirit of this, I have even created an updated "version 2" of the trailer video I made. I will add it to youtube if I decide to continue this fic now.

As I said, I will never abandon this fic. So, it's up to you: should I keep working on getting the data back and keep what I have, as well as the plans...or, should I re-do the plans and therefore steer this fic into an entirely different direction than it was heading in? Regardless of the choice, I can't update too soon as I would have to edit what I have (as in, my grammar and storytelling has evolved over the last however long it's been, so I want to polish it a bit better, but not ultimately change much), and then write more. Also regardless of the decision, I will be making the chapters longer as well.

This announcement will be replaced with a chapter as soon as I can get one to you. It's up to you now, to decide when that may be and the future of this fic: should I wait and keep, or re-plot the course?

Send me a review to let me know, and anything you want/suggest for the fic. If I get enough feedback, I promise I will do absolutely everything I can to comply with the decision for this fic's future. I look forward to hearing from you.


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